Construction, EU – Baltic States, EU – CIS, Gas, Gas Market , Russia

The Latvian MEP indicated that the European Commission has received two different findings about the project from lawyers. According to one of these reports, the project is an exception, because the pipeline will be laid on the Baltic seabed. The other report, meanwhile, argues that the project goes against the spirit of the European Energy Union because instead of diversifying gas supplies to Europe it will increase Europe’s reliance of Russia as its gas supplier.

As reported, Russia’s gas giant Gazprom has agreed with partners from Western Europe - British and Dutch Shell group, Austrian OMV and German Uniper and Wintershall - to build a new gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea to Germany that would bypass Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries. The new pipeline would double the capacity of the first Nord Stream gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany. The project should be completed by late 2019.

While meeting with members of the Saeima European Affairs Committee earlier this month, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics  said that the gas pipeline project threatens the plan of the European Energy Union and can be called a threat to security on many levels,