Ukraine welcomes adoption of amendment to EU gas directive by Germany's Bundestag – PM
The Ukrainian government has welcomed the implementation of the Gas Directive of the European Union (EU) by Bundestag of Germany, Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has said in its Twitter blog.
"The Government of Ukraine welcomes 1:1 implementation by Bundestag of the EU Gas Directive. We also expect the Germany's independent energy regulator to act strictly pursuant to the Directive. The European Commission supports this position of ours," he said.
On November 13, the Bundestag adopted amendments to the EU Gas Directive, aimed at regulating the activities of gas pipelines of third countries in the EU. The amendments relate primarily to the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.
Among the main provisions of the directive is the separation of companies that supply gas and companies that transport it. This means that the operator of the Nord Stream 2 should be independent from Gazprom, and 50% of its capacity should be reserved for alternative suppliers. Exceptions are possible, but only with the approval of the European Commission.