European Union member states adopted a Franco-German compromise yesterday allowing Berlin to remain the lead negotia- tor with Russia on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe. France, a pivotal player in the EU gas talks, had said earlier it would support European Union oversight of new off shore energy pipelines. This had raised concerns in Berlin that resistance from other EU members could undermine plans for the undersea pipeline between Russia and Germany. But Paris and Berlin now agree that chief responsibility lies with Germany, the \u201cterri- tory and territorial sea of the member state where the first interconnection point is located,\u201d according to a text seen by AFP. The pipeline is due to emerge at the German Baltic port of Greifswald, from where gas will be distributed to other EU countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was indeed an agreement which was only possible thanks to close cooperation between France and Germany,\u201d German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters in Berlin when asked about Nord Stream 2. The compromise text replaces older word- ing stipulating the EU rules on gas imports will be applied by \u201cthe territory of the member states\u201d and or the \u201cterritorial sea of the member states\u201d. The new text was adopted as part of reforms for gas market rules at a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels.\u201dThe French- German compromise was adopted pretty much unanimously,\u201d one diplomat told AFP. Romania, current holder of the rotating EU presidency, said it \u201cwas given the mandate… to enter negotiations with the European Parliament on the amendment of the EU gas directive.\u201d France\u2019s earlier support for giving EU countries more say in the pipeline project appeared likely to shift the balance away from Germany. Nord Stream 2 faces opposition from many countries in eastern and central Europe, the United States and particularly Ukraine because it risks increasing Europe\u2019s de- pendence on Russian natural gas. Combined with the planned TurkStream pipeline across the Black Sea, Nord Stream 2 would mean Russia could bypass Ukraine in providing gas to Europe, robbing Mos- cow\u2019s new foe of transit fees and a major strategic asset. An EU diplomat said US off icials lobbied their European counterparts until just before the start yesterday\u2019s meeting in a bid to block the gas pipeline. \u201cWashington has put enormous pressure on EU capitals in recent days to prevent Nord Stream 2,\u201d the diplomat said on condi- tion of anonymity. \u201cThe fact that the gas directive was then almost passed by consensus is also due to the growing displeasure among the EU states over the attempted US influence.\u201d Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow that Washington was spearhead- ing eff orts to undermine fair competition. \u201cThis international project is necessary for Russia and the EU, but it is constantly at- tacked by third countries, more specifically by the United States,\u201d Peskov said.<\/p>\n
Peskov accused Washington of \u201cunder- handed competition\u201d by trying to encour- age Europeans \u201cto buy more expensive American gas\u201d. Russia will \u201cfollow developments very closely\u201d, Peskov said, adding \u201cwe hope that the EU member countries will know how to settle this issue themselves\u201d. French President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s of- fice said the compromise puts Nord Stream under \u201cEuropean oversight\u201d. \u201cIt will challenge a certain number of project parameters which will have to pro- vide transit guarantees via Ukraine as well as transit through Slovakia,\u201d an off icial said. The draft compromise sought to tackle concerns over Ukraine saying: \u201cWe con- sider a (gas rules) directive in this spirit indispensable for a fruitful discussion on the future gas transit through Ukraine.\u201d Merkel has so far insisted that the pipeline is a \u201cpurely economic project\u201d that will ensure cheaper, more reliable gas supplies. She has said there will be no dependence on Russia if Europe diversifies at the same time. Construction has already begun, involving companies such as Germany\u2019s Wintershall and Uniper, Dutch-British Shell, France\u2019s Engie and Austria\u2019s OMV. Gas is due to start arriving in Germany by the end of the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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