NORD STREAM 2 RULES

PLATTS - The EU section of Russia's planned 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream 2 gas link to Germany could face tariff regulation from March at the latest after the European Parliament signed off changes to the EU's gas directive on Thursday.

Nord Stream 2 is planned online by the end of this year, when owner Gazprom's transit contract with Ukraine expires, so in principle Russia could flow gas from then until the changes apply without any operational adjustments.

The exact timings are still uncertain, however. The parliament's approval Thursday puts the changes on track to be approved by EU ministers and enter into force -- become binding -- in June.

Germany then has nine months to transpose them into national law, so by March at the latest.

The changes extend EU internal energy market rules, including tariff regulation, to the EU section of all offshore gas pipelines with non-EU countries, including Nord Stream 2.

Offshore pipelines already in use before the changes enter into force -- which excludes Nord Stream 2 -- will be eligible for derogations of up to 20 years, and these could also be renewed.

National governments will have a year from entry into force to decide these derogations, so likely until June 2020.

That means there is no immediate impact for Spain's MEG and Medgas links to Algeria, Italy's Transmed link to Algeria via Tunisia, and its Green Stream link to Libya, plus Russia's 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream 1 link to Germany.

Nord Stream 2, however, will have to comply as soon as the rules are part of German national law.

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Earlier:  

2019, March, 29, 11:40:00 THE THIRD NORD STREAM 2 The Danish Energy Agency has asked the Gazprom-owned developer of the planned 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany to consider a third route option, a spokesman for the agency said

2019, March, 25, 11:20:00 GERMANY'S INDEPENDENCE UP The parallel construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline and a sea terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) will reduce Germany’s dependence on individual countries for gas, economy and energy minister Peter Altmaier said

2019, March, 18, 12:25:00 POLAND NEED $ OGJ - Stephen Blank, senior fellow for Russia at the American Foreign Policy Council, said, “Nord Stream 2 clearly is a threat to Europe, which is why the Trump administration opposes it. We have now threatened that if Nord Stream 2 is built, the US will impose sanctions not just on the project, but also on the contractors.”

2019, March, 6, 11:45:00 RUSSIA'S GAS THROUGH UKRAINE: ZERO PLATTS - Ukraine is preparing for zero Russian gas transit flows in 2020 once Russia's 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream 2 gas link to Germany comes online, but European gas supply security will not be disrupted, a senior Naftogaz executive said

2019, February, 15, 12:10:00 NORD STREAM 2 IN TIME GAZPROM - Particular attention at the meeting was paid to the progress of the Nord Stream 2 project. It was stressed that pipelaying works in the Baltic Sea were going according to schedule. Русский | English

2019, February, 15, 12:05:00 NORD STREAM 2 DEAL REUTERS - Russia's planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline direct to Germany is set to face EU market rules after negotiators agreed informally to change the EU's gas directive to apply to offshore gas links, the European Commission said late Tuesday.

2019, February, 11, 10:30:00 NORD STREAM 2 CONTROL REUTERS - Nord Stream 2 has divided the EU, with German opposition to the new draft rules stalling discussions since it was proposed by the EU executive in November 2017.