“South Stream” does not qualify as transnational project of European interest and cannot be exempted from the requirements of the Third Energy Package.

The European Commission denied the Russian allegation that “South Stream” gas pipeline will get a special statute, qualifying as transnational project and thus the owners of the pipeline will no longer be required to provide access to it to competitive companies.

The spokesperson of the Commissioner for Energy – Marlene Holzner, stated for the Bulgarian National Radio:

The European Commission denied the Russian allegation that “South Stream” gas pipeline will get a special statute, qualifying as transnational project and thus the owners of the pipeline will no longer be required to provide access to it to competitive companies.

The spokesperson of the Commissioner for Energy – Marlene Holzner, stated for the Bulgarian National Radio:

“South Stream”, like any other pipeline, which is going to be built on the territory of the European Union, is subject to the European legislation and to the Third Energy Package specifically. Such cases are clearly regulated by it, stating that the owner companies cannot utilize 100 percent of the pipeline’s capacity, but are obliged to provide access to it to other companies, if they require so. There is no difference if the pipeline is on the territory of one, two or several member states, as long as it is on the territory of the European Union.

Holzner added that the European Commission has not yet received information on where “South Stream” starts and where it ends and has not seen the project, as well as the agreements signed by the Russian part and the member states of the European Union. Brussels is committed not to allow any exceptions from the Third Energy Package of the European Union, requiring all operators of gas and power networks to guarantee access of other companies to the system, in order to make it possible for them to transport their own resources or energy.