Russia Tries to Align South Stream with EU Energy Rules

Russia will suggest to the European Union that the South Stream gas pipeline be a continuation of Russian trans-border pipelines, which will prevent third parties from accessing it, Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said on Monday.

"We create large trans-border gas pipelines but can't sign long-term contracts although the Europeans themselves are not against long-term agreements. We propose that the EU consider South Stream as a continuation of our trans-border trunk gas pipelines and ban the access of third parties to it."

The European Union's third energy package, which came into force in EU states on March 3, orders separation of gas sales and transportation businesses.

Russian energy giant Gazprom, which supplies Europe with a quarter of the gas it consumes, strongly opposes the package saying it will deprive the gas transportation system of investment.

Russia hopes to press its proposition that South Stream aids in European energy security at a presentation on natural gas pipeline project in Brussels on Wednesday.  The presentation was proposed by Shmatko and EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger.

Separately, South Stream Chairman Marcel Kramer has stated that the delivery of gas will begin in 2015.

Russo-Turkish debate over the gas pipeline project South Stream will not prevent the implementation of the first deliveries of gas in 2015, said Marcel Kramer, RIA Novosti reports.

"Russian-Turkish debate over the South Stream is an incredibly important issue for both sides and they are doing everything to resolve it as quickly as possible”, said Kramer, “but so far nothing has been said that these problems can prevent us from organizing the first supplies of gas in 2015."

South Stream involves the construction of a pipeline across the Black Sea to Southern and Central Europe. Turkey has not provided its final approvals a permit to lay a gas pipeline in its economic waters.

Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said Turkey would still abide by the terms of a 2009 agreement with Russia .

“We are still waiting for the environmental impact studies, as well as feasibility studies, on South Stream to see if the required criteria demanded by Turkey are met. If met, there is no question we would give our approval to the project,” he said.