German Energy Chief Hails 'Balanced' Application Of EU Gas Rules To Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th November, 2019) German Economy and Energy Minister Peter Altmaier on Thursday praised the adopted legislation on gas imports as a compromise between energy transport security and competitiveness.

The German parliament passed a bill on Wednesday regulating the application of May amendments to the EU Gas Directive in the country, which affects the Russia-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

"We have balanced our interest in securing gas imports through pipelines with the necessary safeguards for consumers and competitiveness," he said in a statement.

The EU's third energy package sets requirements for ownership unbundling, third-party access, non-discriminatory tariffs and transparency. In particular, it forbids the owner of a pipeline built after May 23, 2019, to also pump gas through it to the EU market.

Nord Stream is a twin pipeline running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The regulation will not affect the original string and will only cover Nord Stream 2's final stretch of 12 nautical miles in German waters. The second string is expected to become operational later this year.