Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak asks an exemption from the EU Third Energy Package for Nordstream, Southstream and all the other pipelines which carry Russian gas in Europe. Moscow's energy policy endangers EU energy and political independence.
In Europe there are rules, but Russia doesn't want to respect them. On Friday 12/14, Russian Energy Minister Alexandr Novak declared Russia aims to require from the European Commission a EU Third Energy Package non-application for Nordstream and Southstream pipelines.
Minister Novak argued the two Russian pipelines could be exempted from the EU law after the sign of an international agreement between the European Commission and the Russian Federation, which Moscow is going to propose Bruxelles as soon as possible.
The EU Third Energy Package forbids both the control on gas supplies and the pipeline's managing in the European Energy Community's countries - the EU member states, Moldova and Ukraine - by a single energy company.
In February 2012, Russia realized Nordstream pipeline to deliver 55 bcm of Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea seabed, bypassing EU countries ad Poland and the Baltic States.
Last 12/7 Russia also started the realization of Southstream: a pipeline to carry 63 bcm of Russian gas to Austria via the Black Sea seabed, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Italy.
Both the Nordstream and the Southstream are controlled by Russian national gas major Gazprom, which is also the company which provides the natural gas carried by the two pipelines in Europe.
On September 2012 the European Commission accused Gazprom of unconcurrential managing in EU energy market.
Russian national gas major, which is controlled by the Kremlin, imposed high gas supplies' prices to Central-Eastern EU countries.
At the same time, Gazprom agreed on discounts with EU Western countries in exchange of Germany and France's political support to Nordstream and Southstream.
Russia's energy strategy interests not only Nordstream and Southstream pipelines.
Minister Novak told the European Commission should exempt from the Third Energy package also OPAL and NEL: the pipelines realized to deliver Russian gas flowed to Germany by Nordstream in the centre of Europe.
Russia's goal is to allow Russian national gas major Gazprom to control both gas supplies than European Gas Transport System. This situation seriously endangers both the EU energy security and EU member states' national security.
Matteo Cazzulani
