European Commission`s representative Yakub Adamovich, while commenting on the letter of European People`s Party addressed to the Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, said that Commission is concerned if the Nord Stream-2 project will impact security of supply, the EU diversification strategy, and, in particular, the future of Ukrainian transit.
In the letter the president of the center-right European Peoples` Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber condemned the Nord Stream-2 project, aiming at delivering 55 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year to Europe across the Baltic Sea, as as incompatible with core EU principles and objectives.
Moreover, he expressed concern about the role of the Commission in bringing to life the Southern Gas Corridor.
Meanwhile, the European Commission confirmed its commitment to the Southern Gas Corridor.
"The Commission`s position of the Southern gas Corridor has not changed," the source in the EC told Trend.
Today the Southern Gas Corridor is among the European Commission`s priority energy projects, which aims at the diversification of the EU gas supply sources and routes. The project project envisages transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe through Georgia and Turkey.
The European Commission`s spokesperson early told Trend that the Southern Gas Corridor`s role is very important as it brings gas to EU markets from a new source, namely the Caspian region, via a new supply route.
At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan`s Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. At later stages other sources can be used for the project.
According to the information on the European Commission`s website, the EU actions for expanding the Southern Gas Corridor include:
- keeping the infrastructure projects needed for the Corridor on the EU`s list of projects of common interest. These are projects which can benefit from streamlined permitting process, receive preferential regulatory treatment, and may apply for EU funding from the Connecting Europe Facility;
- cooperating closely with gas suppliers in the region including Azerbaijan, Iraq and Turkmenistan;
- cooperating closely with transit countries including Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey;
- negotiating with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on a Trans-Caspian pipeline to transport gas across the Caspian Sea.
EC slams Nord Stream-2, reaffirms commitment to Southern Gas Corridor
04 May 2016
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The European Commission once again made clear its position on the Russia`s Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project, saying that it must fully comply with the European legislation.
