Agreement has been reached on the revision of the Gas Directive. Representatives of the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission agreed last night that EU rules would also apply to pipelines from third countries into the European Union, such as the German-Russian gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2.
Rebecca Harms, member of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, sees the agreement as an important step towards a common European energy policy:
"This is an important step towards a common European energy policy for gas. Gazprom will also have to comply with European rules in the future, as the EU Gas Directive will also apply to pipelines leading from third countries into the European Union. The production of natural gas and the operation of pipelines must not be in one hand. This unbundling should limit the power of the gas giants and improve energy security in the European Union. The German government must finally accept this and must no longer try to get Nord Stream 2 to bypass European rules. The German government has already smashed enough porcelain to push this project through against the will and security interests of many EU member states."
