Ukraine Has to Unify Legal Framework with EU, Says Oettinger

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Ukraine’s Ukrtransgaz, Slovakia’s Eustream promised to attain a volume of 8-9 billion cubic metres of gas a year as soon as possible. European institutions welcomed the deal, saying that the agreement will contribute to Ukraine’s integration in the EU.

"It is important that Ukraine makes speedy progress in unifying its legal and regulatory framework with the energy legislation of the EU. This increases the trust of investors and helps the country modernise its energy sector”, European Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger said in Bratislava on Monday. 

The long-waited agreement paves the way to reverse flow from Slovakia to Ukraine through the Vojany-Užhorod pipeline from the beginning of October 2014.

“Top representatives of the European Commission requested us to shorten the terms for technical preparations for launching the Vojany pipeline and to increase the capacity to a maximum. We promised that we would do everything in this respect within our technical possibilities and transmission regulations to ensure that in accelerated mode we will attain a volume of 8-9 billion cubic metres of gas a year, said Tomáš Mareček, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eustream, after the signing of the Memorandum. 

Slovak politicians greeted the agreement with similar enthusiasm.

“I believe that all the points agreed in the Memorandum will be put into effect in a short time”, said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in a note released on Monday night.