Brussels, 26/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Thursday 22 November to report back on the state of progress with the Nabucco project, the former head of Dutch diplomacy, Jozias van Aartsen, who has been appointed coordinator for this energy project, which is acknowledged as a priority by the European Council, confirmed the commitment of the member states of the EU taking part - Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. “These four countries remain committed to the project. The capitals are genuinely involved and see this project as a priority for their countries”, he told the press, speaking alongside European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs. Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány, who had been dragging his heels, having been very tempted by the Russian Blue Stream project, announced his commitment to the European project in September, stating that it would be a “mistake” to continue to make do with his largest supplier of gas, Russia, which provides Hungary with nearly 85% of its gas (EUROPE 9502). 3300 km in length and with an annual capacity of thirty billion cubic meters, the Nabucco gas pipeline will link to Europe to the Caspian Sea from Erzurum in Turkey to the terminal at Baumgarten an der March in Austria, going through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, with the objective of creating an alternative route to the Russian networks. The work is due to start in 2009, concluding in 2012. Adding that this project was a “necessity” for competition and security of supply, Mr Piebalgs stated that the Commission would examine the request of the Austrian regulator to be able to apply the exemption for companies involved in access rules for third parties for large energy infrastructures, under article 22 of Directive 2003/55/EC on gas. The energy commissioner also stressed that Russia had become “less hostile” to the project than it had been a year or two ago. On the same day, the Russian gas company Gazprom and the Italian energy company ENI announced their agreement on the creation of a joint venture to be held 50-50 by the two companies, to build the planned South Stream gas pipeline. (E.H.)