Withdrawal by the GUE/NGL and ENF Groups of their request for a vote of confirmation by the European Parliament meeting in plenary, on Thursday 19 April, of Parliament's negotiating mandate with the Council of EU ministers was de facto confirmation of that mandate, opening the way to trialogue talks. The mandate was on the proposal for an amendment to the 2009 gas directive in order to clarify the regulatory framework for gas pipelines from third countries to the EU - thus framing the controversial Russian Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project (see EUROPE 11900).
The European Parliament rapporteur, Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland), who chairs the energy committee, and the shadow rapporteurs may begin negotiations with the Council, which has still to finalise its stance, on the basis of the draft Parliament amendments adopted by its energy committee on 21 March (see EUROPE 11986).
The amendment to the gas directive aims to highlight that the principles of EU legislation on energy, based on the 3rd energy market liberalisation package (access by third parties to the network, pricing rules, disassociation of ownership structures and transparency) will apply to all gas pipelines to and from third countries to the confines of EU territory.
The package of Parliament's amendments strengthens the conditions to be met so that the gas pipelines of third countries may benefit from exceptions to the gas market rules, such as derogations (for existing gas pipelines) or exemptions (for future gas pipelines) by: - imposing a maximum five-year limit for exemptions; - strengthening the Commission’s role in decisions relating to derogations; - and involving member states in those decisions, if their markets could be affected by the gas pipeline concerned, as well as the relevant authorities in the third country. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)