Reuters: EU, Russia to debate Nord Stream legal waivers

Russian and EU officials will debate legal waivers for Gazprom's Nord Stream pipeline next week, the Commission said on Thursday, as part of efforts to improve ties between Moscow and its biggest export market.

Gazprom's Nord Stream carries gas from Russia to Germany, avoiding the eastern European transit states, such as Ukraine, where pricing disputes with Russia have in the past led to supply disruption to the European Union in the depth of winter.

State-dominated Gazprom owns a 51 percent stake in Nord Stream, which puts it at odds with EU law preventing suppliers of energy from dominating distribution networks within the European Union.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters in Cyprus late on Wednesday that a meeting of regulators, Commission representatives and energy companies would debate "possible exemptions" to EU energy market law.

"It is our understanding that we have some opportunities to continue our dialogue and, together with the European Commission and the regulators, agree on further use and operation of this pipeline."  MORE