The European Commission` position on Russia`s planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline remains unchanged: the project cannot be implemented according to Russian rules, it must fully comply with the European legislation, said European Commission`s representative Yakub Adamovich in Brussels, on May 2, according to Ukraine Today.
Adamovich commented on the letter addressed to E.U. Climate and Energy Commissioner Miguel Canete by Manfred Weber, leader of the European Parliament EPP (People`s Party) political group, according to the report.
”The Commission has received the letter and will respond in due course. The Commission has made clear its position on the Nord Stream 2 project many times before. Both vice president Sefcovic (Vice-President of the European Commission for Energy Union), and Commissioner Canete stressed the Commission is concerned if the project will impact security of supply, the E.U. diversification strategy, and, in particular, the future of Ukrainian transit,” Adamovich said.
The speaker said that a few days ago Vice-President Maros Sefcovic also expressed the Commission`s position on the legislative aspect of the project, Ukraine Today writes.
”If the Nord Stream 2 is built, it must fully comply, like any other infrastructure project, with the European legislation, including legislation in energy and environment sectors”, Adamovich quotes Sefcovic as saying.
Adamovich added that the E.U. legislation also applied to the ”off-shore infrastructure, which are within jurisdiction of the E.U. member states, including their exclusive economic zones.”
”Nord Stream 2 cannot be implemented only in accordance with the Russian laws. If Nord Stream 2 is built, it must work under laws, which take into account our rules in the energy market,” Adamovich stressed.
As reported earlier, in September 2015, Russia`s Gazprom formed a consortium of European energy firms including E.ON, OMV and Royal Dutch Shell, to build the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. In October, Russian President Vladimir Putin in person launched the construction of the Ukhta-Torzhok 2 pipeline, which was designed to pump gas through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to the European Union, bypassing Ukraine.
On November 26, the governments of 10 European countries sent a letter to the European Commission, stating that the construction of the North Stream 2 project was contrary to the interests of the EU.
According to Ukraine`s former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, if Russia and some Western companies build a Nord Stream 2, it will deprive Ukraine of $2 billion transit fees.
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