Nord Stream 2 as a temporary victim

Alexey Belogoryev, Deputy Principal Director on Energy Studies at the Institute for Energy and Finance, commented to Oilcapital.ru on the prospects for launching the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

It is possible that Nord Stream 2 will be not only the first, but also the last and only gas pipeline to be certified based on the 2019 amendments.

Alexey Belogoryev clarified, that the amendments adopted in 2019 do not have retroactive effect and only concern gas pipelines which construction was completed after May 23, 2019:

“Prior to these amendments, the requirements of the Third Gas Directive did not apply to gas pipelines entering the EU by land from third countries or through territorial sea waters. From external gas pipelines through which “foreign” gas is supplied to the EU, TAP passed certification for compliance with the Third Gas Directive in 2016, but this was a different case - the gas pipeline went from one EU country (Greece) to another (Italy). The Baltic Pipe completed on November 18, although it will supply Norwegian gas to the EU, was already being built by certified Danish and Polish operators, and the open subscription procedure itself, carried out on it in 2017, was already strictly in line with the Third Directive. It is possible that Nord Stream 2 will be not only the first, but also the last and only gas pipeline to be certified based on the 2019 amendments. Actually, they were accepted solely for its sake,” the expert believes.