EU confirms Nord Stream 2 threatening its internal market

The European Parliament has confirmed a possibility of higher EU dependency on Russian gas supplies and a growing threat for the EU internal market in case the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project is implemented.

"Nord Stream 2 reinforces EU dependency on Russian gas supplies, threatens the EU internal market and is not in line with EU energy policy, and therefore needs to be stopped," reads the report published on the European Parliament website.

The EP says it no longer considers the Russian Federation its strategic partner.

Closer relations are possible only in case Russia fully implements the Minsk Agreements, cease the war in Eastern Ukraine, and start respecting international law.

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UNIAN memo. The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction and operation of two gas pipeline branches with a total throughput capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. It should connect Russia's Ust-Luga and Germany's Greifswald.

This 1,220km pipeline bypassing Ukraine is to be built next to the existing Nord Stream 1 pipe. The construction deadline is set before the end of 2019.

The project is being implemented by Russia's Gazprom in alliance with European companies – ENGIE, Uniper, OMV, Shell, and Wintershall.

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Ukraine stands against the construction of Nord Stream 2 as it will most likely lose its status of a gas transit country and its possible revenue losses are estimated at billions of U.S. dollars. The project is also highly criticized by Poland and the Baltic countries.

The United States remains in opposition to the Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream gas pipeline projects bypassing Ukraine.