Members of the European Parliament approved on March 2 the rules
requiring EU member states to inform the EU Commission of their plans to
negotiate energy supply deals with third countries before opening
negotiations.
This is the first item of Energy Union legislation to be completed.
“This legislation will ensure the energy security of the member states,
creating effective ex-ante mechanisms for the European Commission to
check draft agreements on gas and oil supplies, and to verify their
compliance both with the EU law and with energy security needs,” said
rapporteur
Zdzisław Krasnodebski, an MEP from Poland whose draft text was approved by 542 votes to 87, with 19 abstentions.
“A clause in the final text allows for the inclusion of ex-ante
verification mechanisms for electricity agreements, when the legislation
is revised”, he added.
Krasnodebski asked the Commission “to be consistent and act with
determination as regards its decisions on the OPAL gas pipeline and the
controversial Nord Stream 2 project”.
An informal deal struck by Parliament and the Council in December
2016 stipulates that a member state entering into negotiations with a
third country in order to amend or to conclude an intergovernmental
agreement on energy must inform the EU Commission in writing before the
start of the negotiations.
At present, member states are required to submit such agreements to the Commission only after signature.
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/meps-say-eu-members-must-report-third-party-deals/