The Commission has proposed changes to the EU Gas Directive of 2009, with the aim of clarifying that all major pipelines entering the EU territory comply with EU rules, notably third-party access, tariff regulation, ownership unbundling and transparency.
In practice, this means that Nord Stream 2 will have to comply with all existing EU legislation.
– This proposal from the Commission did not come a day too soon. Nord Stream 2, if built, will carry 26 percent of all European Union gas consumption and 80 % of Russian gas imports. This would fundamentally change the architecture of the European gas market and further increase the dominance of Gazprom, MEP Gunnar Hökmark commented, one of Parliament’s loudest critics of the project.
– If we are to succeed in building a resilient and competitive Energy Union, new infrastructure projects simply cannot undermine security of supply and increase our dependence on a single supplier. A Nord Stream 2 operating outside EU legislation constitutes the single biggest threat to our idea of a truly common and functional European energy market, Mr. Hökmark continues.
– I look forward to making sure these proposed changes are put in place, once the Parliament starts working on the legislation.