REUTERS
The German initiative "is looking not quite in the direction laid by Ukraine and the European Commission."
A bill prepared by Germany to soften the European Union Gas Directive in favor of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not be approved by the EU and may be appealed in court, a Ukrainian official says.
"The ultimate result Germany and the European Commission will achieve with such sabotage is lengthy litigation that will also block Nord Stream 2 in a situation of total uncertainty. Litigation between the European Commission, the German government, Poland, Ukraine... between many parties," Trade Representative of Ukraine, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Taras Kachka told a briefing following the conference titled "Trade Wars: Art of Defense".
Such an initiative on the part of Germany, Kachk says, will find no approval at the European Commission, which has a major voice in such matters.
"The German initiative is looking not quite in the direction laid by Ukraine and the European Commission. I don't think it will be welcomed. All the same, we're talking about the implementation of the directive, and the European Commission has a significant voice here, and it has a clear position on how this project should be implemented," the official added.
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As UNIAN reported, according to European media, the German ruling coalition has developed a new bill that is aimed to protect the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is still under construction, from the tightened rules of the updated EU gas directive.
The EU Gas Directive, updated this year, provides for an obligation to separate a pipeline operator, independent of the company supplying it with gas. Changes to the directive also allowed it to be extended to pipelines laid from third countries, in particular, Nord Stream 2.
As a result of its implementation, Gazprom will no longer be able to own the gas pipeline and at the same time sell gas flowing through this pipe.
Russian legislation gives Gazprom a monopoly on the export of natural gas beyond Russia.