Radio Bulgaria: South Stream or Southern Gas Corridor
Today the European Union is no longer that interested in the South Stream gas pipeline project, Jerzy Buzek, Chairman of the European Parliament Energy Committee, said recently. Imports of liquefied gas from Qatar are one option for the diversification of natural gas supplies. And the Ukrainian news agency Unian has forecast that the victory of GERB that won the parliamentary elections in Bulgaria can actually spell the end to this gas pipeline. Works have been frozen and a party is coming to power which though it generally supports the project has raised the condition to get it aligned with European rules, Unian reports.
South Stream is the gas pipeline aimed to diversify Russian natural gas supplies to Europe by bypassing Ukraine - a stone in the shoe of gas giant Russia.
At this stage the European Union and the Russian Federation have not shifted their grounds - Moscow believes that the gas pipeline is an international project and should not comply with European standards. Brussels however expects the Russian side to submit an application for an exception to the rules of the third liberalization package which favors energy market liberalization. It is aimed at reforming the European energy market so as to guarantee there is consumer choice from among different companies supplying natural gas and electricity, as well as there is access of all suppliers. However, when and where will it happen?