On Wednesday 8 November, the European Commission is to propose an amendment to the third legislative package on liberalising the energy market in order to clarify the regulatory framework for gas pipelines coming into the EU from third countries and thus to supervise the very controversial Russian gas pipeline project, Nord Stream-2.
"The College (of Commissioners) is (...) expected to adopt measures (on Wednesday) to ensure that gas pipelines entering the EU internal gas market are subject to common rules. This proposal will ensure that all major pipelines entering the EU territory comply with EU rules, operate under the same degree of transparency and are accessible to other operators and run efficiently", Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas stated on Tuesday 7 November.
The Commission thus wants to circumvent the blockage in discussions at the EU Council on its request for a mandate that was tabled on 9 June in order to negotiate a legal framework with Russia on the use of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. The Commission's aim is to ensure that Nord Stream-2's offshore section and its coastal part operate in line with the fundamental principles of international law and EU legislation on energy (especially with the third package) and competition (see EUROPE 11805).
The discussions on the negotiation mandate with Russia are going around in circles at the Council, where, despite "support from many member states" "there is no unanimous agreement" at this stage, as European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said at the European Council on 19 October (see EUROPE 11887).
The Commission's proposal aims to clarify the regulatory framework for gas pipelines from third countries and is "without harm" to the negotiation mandate with Russia on Nord Stream-2, European Commissioner for Energy Miguel Arias Cañete had said in mid-September (see EUROPE 11862).
The Commission nevertheless seeks a swift entry into force of the amended rules of the third package, from 2018, in order to supervise the Nord Stream-2 project, according to a Community source. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)