Brussels, 03/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - Speaking to the press on Wednesday 3 November, Günther Oettinger has said that he is confident that the new gas contract between Poland and Russia, which was concluded on 18 October, complies with EU legislation. The European energy commissioner stated that this Thursday he would be examining the latest version of the agreement, which provides for the extension until 2022, of supplies of Russian gas to Poland, and for the extension until 2019 of the transit via Polish soil, via the Iamal gas pipeline, of Russian gas destined for Western Europe. Under the agreement, Russia would gradually increase its supplies of gas to Poland from 9.7 billion m3 in 2010 to 11 billion m3 in 2012, a volume which would remain unchanged for the following years. The rates to be charged for transit will be laid down by the company EuRoPol Gaz, which currently belongs, at a level of 48% each, to Gazprom and the Polish gas company PGNiG, and which manages the Polish section of Iamal. The Polish company Gaz-System will be the technical operator of the gas pipeline on the Polish section, and other external operators may also have access to it. “The EU had played an advisory role in negotiations on the agreement. As a result of that early involvement, the treaty is going to be signed and is going to come into force, with EU legitimacy. There are grounds for confidence here, because all sides - the Polish government and the Russian side - have taken into account the provisions of EU legislation. They certainly know what those provisions are and we've all worked together to ensure that the treaty which is going to be initialled is in compliance with EU legislation”, Oettinger concluded. (E.H./transl.fl)