EP Committee approves gas directive to be applied including to Nord Stream 2

The European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) on Monday, March 18, endorsed draft amendments to the EU Gas Directive as regards the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

In a report delivered via Twitter, the ITRE press service said the draft had been supported by 33 Committee members while eight stood against it.

The next step is for the document to be passed at a plenary session of the European Parliament and Council of Europe.

It is expected that MEPs will consider the issue this April.

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Then, EU member states will have to incorporate new rules into their national legislation, European Pravda reports.

The draft amendments aim to ensure that the rules of the EU gas market extend to gas transmission pipelines connecting member states and third countries.

The EU seeks to have the amendments to the gas directive come into force before the Nord Stream 2 is launched.

Russia's new pipeline bypassing Ukraine is scheduled to be put into operations before the end of 2019.