Germany's position is that Nord Stream 2 is a commercial project. However, Merkel expanded on her description of the pipeline, which she said she discussed openly with Macron.

Reports this week in the German press suggested the administration of new US President Joe Biden would be open to direct negotiations with Germany over the pipeline.

France's Engie is one of five European energy companies that have lent financial support to Nord Stream 2, which remains incomplete with some 150 km left to lay in Danish and German waters.

The European technology sector rose 1.4%, while the STOXX 600 index gained 0.8%.

In a statement, Gazprom said its sales last month to the Far Abroad (Europe plus Turkey, minus the countries of the former Soviet Union) were 45.4% -- or 6.1 Bcm -- higher year on year.

The benchmark STOXX 600 index dropped 1.6% in early trading

At a briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden "continues to believe that Nord Stream 2 is a bad deal for Europe."

The pan-European STOXX 600 fell 1.9%, turning negative for the year

While renewables' 2020 performance was impressive, especially during a global pandemic, the report warns that the average pace of deployment through the 2020s will need to more than double that of the prior decade if the EU is going to hit its target of a 55 percent reduction in emissions by 2030.

European share indexes opened in the red. The STOXX 600 was down around 0.3% on the day