Moscow and Brussels shook hands in agreement to fundamentally change
the gas policy of Russia in relation to certain former satellite
countries to the Soviet Union, now part of the EU, according to BNR.
The good news was announced by
European Commission responsible for competition, Margrethe Vestager. She said that Russian monopolist "
Gazprom"
has undertaken steps for introducing competitive pricing of gas for
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Hungary and Slovakia. Not only that but
Gazprom" also allowed these countries to be able to re-export unused quantities of gas.
Brussels started criticizing the policy of "
Gazprom" back in 2012 for breaches of EU competition rules.
Gazprom was aware that it could be fined by the European Competition
Authorities and lose positions on the European gas market. The agreement
between Moscow and Brussels has prevented a looming battle.
In the report prepared by the
European Commission it was pointed out that
Gazprom had imposed restrictions on the Bulgarian gas market and stripped
"Bulgargaz" of the right to transfer Russian gas outside Bulgarian
borders. Now
Gazprom eliminates this explicit prohibition.
Thus
Bulgaria will be able to realize its interconnectors with Greece and
become a player on the European gas market. "Bulgargaz" will also have
the right to renegotiate prices depending on changes in market
conditions in Europe and to re-export free quantities of natural gas. As
for the "South Stream" project, which was supposed to carry Russian gas
under the Black Sea directly to Bulgaria and which was terminated at
the initiative of Bulgaria,
Gazprom withdraws their claims for damages amounting to tens of millions of dollars.
(novinite.com, 20 March 2017)