EU court rejects Nord Stream 2 lawsuit against gas directive

The Court of the European Union ruled that the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline should act in accordance with EU regulation and is not entitled to exclusion. It is reported by European Truth.

“The General Court of the European Union announces that acts committed by Nord Stream AG and Nord Stream 2 AG against Directive 2019/692, which applies certain rules of the domestic natural gas market, to pipelines from third countries are unacceptable,” the court decision said.

On April 17, 2019, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU adopted the Directive on the general rules of the domestic natural gas market. This directive entered into force on May 23, 2019. As of the date of entry into force, the installation of pipes for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, according to statements by Nord Stream 2 AG, was 95% completed.

The updated EU Gas Directive applies to pipelines passing in the EU’s maritime economic zone the provisions of the EU’s Third Energy Package. They oblige the operator to reserve up to 50% of the gas pipeline capacity for pumping gas from alternative suppliers.

Nord Stream 2 is a project for a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea, for gas supplies to Central Europe.

It was previously reported that Gazprom had began to transport gas through Poland according to European rules.