Brussels, 08/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - At a debate on the issue at a plenary session of the European Parliament, on the evening of Wednesday 7 October, a great many MEPs expressed their deep-seated misgivings or total opposition to the new Russian gas pipeline plan, Nord Stream 2.
“The battle to block the extension of Nord Stream has begun”, Latvian Krisjanis Karins (EPP) summed the matter up in the media of his country, on Thursday 8 October. Addressing the session on Wednesday, Karins called on the EU to “freeze” this “very bad project” by means of a “political decision” as with the project South Stream. “This project will increase our dependence on Russia. There will be no more competition and our supplies will come almost exclusively from Russia”, he warned.
It was a great many MEPs from all the major political groups who expressed their strong opposition to Nord Stream 2 during the debate on Wednesday evening, led by the Baltic and Polish members. The debate was held in the notable absence of German, French and British MEPs.
“I respect the freedom of businesses to do business. This project cannot be seen any other way than on the basis of commercial criteria. It is a threat to our neighbourhood partners. This project divides us”, said Poland's Jerzy Buzek (EPP), stressing the risk of reinforcing the domination of the single gas provider. “We expect the Commission to take all necessary measures in the event of failure to comply with the various conditions and, if these conditions are not complied with, there will be no Nord Stream 2”, Buzek added, in line with the reservations recently expressed by his political group (see EUROPE 11401). “We have not made full use of the infrastructure which already exists and of which only 50% is used. The project is therefore entirely unjustified”, he said.
“This announcement is extremely worrying: it would increase our dependence on Russian gas. The project is a problem in terms of diversification and it will be tantamount to unbalancing the situation between the member states in terms of supply. This is a problem for the EU as a whole. We cannot depend on a single country and cut off the transit route via Ukraine”, said Italy's Flavio Zanonato (S&D). His Lithuanian colleague, Zigmantas Balcytis, described it as “scandalous that the contract (for the Nord Stream 2 project) has been signed before the Commission has all the information about it”.
“The Commission is constantly reiterating the fact that Nord Stream is a private initiative. The reality is that with Nord Stream 2, Gazprom will be responsible for more than 50% of Europe's gas imports. This goes against the principle of diversification and will affect the countries of central and eastern Europe”, said Polish MEP Marek Józef Grobarczyk (ECR). His colleague and comatriot Anna Elzbieta Fotyga criticised an “additional instrument of pressure for Russia, just like Turkish Stream”.
“Nord Stream is vital for the EU. However, Russia and Gazprom oppose European efforts to liberalise the single market. We have every reason to apply the highest possible level of supervision”, said Danish ALDE member Morten Helveg Petersen, who urged the Commission to open up dialogue with the member states to see whether they are carrying out geological and strategic impact assessments of the implications of a gas pipeline, particularly for the neighbourhood of the EU.
On behalf of the Greens/EFA group, Luxembourg's Claude Turmes slammed the move as a “provocation which threatens the unity of the European energy union”. “This is contrary to European solidarity and geopolitical interests in Ukraine”, he said, criticising the lobbying of major Western energy groups and their “powerful allies, Hollande, Merkel and Cameron”. “This is not a commercial project, it is an explosive political project, which could divide us. We have to include this issue on the agenda of the European Council. We need to stop this project immediately”, Turmes added. “We have to put an end to this ridiculous project which aims to bring Ukraine to its knees and then us”, added his Estonian colleague, Indrek Tarand.
The Luxembourg economy minister, Nicolas Schmit, said that the Presidency of the Council was “perfectly aware of the energy, economic, geopolitical and environmental stakes of this project and the fact that it raises questions as to its contribution to the diversification of routes and sources of supply and its impact on other countries”, calling on the Commission to monitor the situation very closely.
The Commission will ensure that Nord Stream 2 complies with EU law, particularly the third liberalisation package and the rules on the environment and public procurement, pledged Energy Commissioner, Miguel Arias Cañete. “The EU wants to keep Russia as a reliable provider of gas in the future, but it also wants the transport of Russian gas to come as part of its diversification strategy and for the Russian provider to play the competition game”, he added. “Nord Stream 2 does not pursue the objective of diversification which is central to our policy”, Canete acknowledged, adding that it was “vital” to preserve Ukraine's role as a transit country for Russian gas. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)