On Monday 21 January, the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič, reiterated his "concerns” regarding the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany that bypasses the Ukraine, after his meeting with the Russian and Ukrainian ministers (see EUROPE 12176).
The concerns relate to the Energy Union’s objectives and the EU's energy diversification goals. The Commission recalled that some Member States have different opinions on the proposal amending the 2009 Gas Directive to regulate Nord Stream-2 (see EUROPE 12058, 11900).
"We insist on full compatibility [of the project] with European law and I debriefed both delegations about the approval process for the new Gas Directive", said Commissioner Šefčovič. He criticised the length of the process: "We are not very impressed with the work carried out by the Austrian and Bulgarian Presidencies on this matter. Work has not progressed as we in the Commission had hoped. "
He pointed out that the Romanian Presidency of the Council had tabled a new compromise proposal on the Gas Directive. "I think that with this latest proposal, a general approach by early February should be possible. This would open the door for talks before the European Parliament elections", hoped the Commissioner. The aim would be to apply a set of EU energy rules to offshore gas pipelines, as is the case with onshore gas pipelines. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)