EU gas market rules must apply to all pipelines entering or leaving the EU, with strictly limited exceptions, Energy Committee Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) agreed on Wednesday.
The Industry and Energy Committee approved the new amendments to the EU gas market directive on Wednesday with 41 votes to 13 with nine abstentions. The new rules state that all gas pipelines from third countries into the EU must comply fully with EU gas market rules on EU territory.
MEPs agreed that the EU Commission and member states affected must be involved in deciding any exceptions, which must be strictly time-limited.
The committee also amended the proposal to say that, when deciding upon exemptions for new pipelines entering the EU, the Commission should consider any EU restrictive measures, such as economic sanctions, imposed on third countries.
"More specifically, gas pipelines from e.g. Russia, including the Nord Stream II, Norway, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco must comply with key provisions for the creation of an internal gas market, such as the unbundling of transmission system operators, supervision by independent regulatory authorities, and third party access to infrastructure, say MEPs," the Parliament statement read.
The Nord Stream II natural gas pipeline project plans to deliver Russian gas to Europe through the Baltic Sea supplying 55 billion cubic meters of capacity per year.
However, many European countries such as Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine oppose the project, claiming that it will increase dependence on Russia.
The EU has extended sanctions on Russia on March 12 for another six months until Sept. 15 over its actions against Ukraine.
(Anadolu Agency)
