The European Parliament favours suspending the Nord Stream-2 pipeline project. This was stated in the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday in the report “On the Implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement”.
“The European Parliament confirms that it considers the key role that Ukraine plays in the sphere of the European energy supply network. At the same time, the European Parliament condemned the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, as this is a political project that represents a threat to the European security and for efforts to diversify sources of energy supply. The European Parliament is demanding that the project should be cancelled, “the resolution read.
At the end of November, it was reported that about 300 km of the pipeline had already been laid within the framework of Nord Stream 2. Two branches of the “Nord Stream 2” should be built before the end of 2019. The total capacity of the project is 55 billion cubic meters. m of gas per year. The construction cost is estimated at € 9.5 billion.
The head of Gazprom, Alexey Miller, has previously stated that the implementation of the construction schedule for Nord Stream-2 suggests a possible start of gas supplies through this pipeline from January 1, 2020.
The pipeline will go through the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of five countries – Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Thus, it will bypass the transit states – Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other Eastern European and Baltic countries. Only Denmark, which plans to block or postpone the implementation of the project, did not give its consent to the construction.
US President Donald Trump in July hit out at Germany for supporting the construction of Nord Stream 2, despite opposition from some other European countries, including Poland.
A US diplomat was earlier this week cited as saying that Russia is seeking to increase its power in Europe and its grip over Ukraine with the new gas pipeline to Germany.
The pipeline, which aims to bring Russian gas to Western Europe via the Baltic Sea, has been opposed by both Trump, a Republican, and his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama as a political tool for Russia to boost its power over Europe, the Reuters news agency has reported.
