Friday

29th Mar 2024

EU still waiting for Russian gas

  • EU energy ministers are likely to review a 2004 directive on energy solidarity (Photo: Naftogaz of Ukraine)

Russia has not yet resumed gas exports via Ukraine despite a weekend of frantic diplomacy by the Czech EU presidency, with Slovakia restarting a nuclear reactor to avoid a nation-wide blackout.

The deadlock remains after Moscow on Sunday night (11 January) rejected the latest text of an agreement on international monitoring of Ukraine gas transit.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The Russian objection came after Kiev added a last-minute, handwritten annex to the document stating that "Ukraine does not have any debt vis-a-vis Gazprom and has fixed its financial settlements for all consumed gas," AFP reports.

The Czech EU presidency has drafted five versions of the text so far, with Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek shuttling between Msocow and Kiev for the past three days and promising not to go home until the gas is back on.

Russia turned off the Ukraine gas tap - which accounts for one fifth of EU daily consumption - on Wednesday after accusing Ukraine of stealing EU-bound volumes in a long-running price dispute.

A team of 22 European Commission monitors began arriving in Ukraine and Russia on Friday to oversee resumption of supplies.

Under the terms of the tortuous Russia-Ukraine-EU accord - a version of which has been published by Gazprom - they are to be joined by another 50 Russian and Ukrainian officials as well as delegates from 13 major European energy firms, such as E.ON Ruhrgas and Statoil Hydro.

The experts will stay in place for an unlimited duration, reporting in real time to Brussels, Moscow and Kiev on flows, stocks and the physical state of infrastructure.

If Russia resumes supplies on Monday morning, it will take the gas until mid-Tuesday to reach exit points in EU states Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria.

The underlying issues of Ukraine's alleged non-payment of its 2008 gas debt and how much Ukraine will pay for gas in 2009 also remain unsolved, creating the potential for further rifts.

The gas crisis has impacted 18 EU states causing severe economic damage and public distress in heavy importers such as Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

EU treaty laid aside

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Saturday ordered the restart of a Soviet-era reactor at Jaslovske Bohunice nuclear plant.

"Damage from violation of the accession agreement is smaller than damage that would be caused by a collapse of the electricity system," he said, according to Reuters, in reference to Slovakia's 2004 EU accession treaty promise to switch off the unit.

The Slovak move has met with sympathy from Prague and Brussels, but Austrian environment minister Nikolaus Berlakovich called it "completely unacceptable" and is seeking a European Commission censure.

Ukraine's promise to start pumping between 1.5 million and 2.5 million cubic meters a day from its own stocks to Bulgaria for the sake of "friendly relations" eased tension in Sofia on Saturday.

But the gesture could create legal complications, after Hungarian firm Emfesz last week launched a law suit claiming that Ukraine's gas stocks belong to RosUkreEnergo - an intermediary of Russia's Gazprom - due to unpaid debts.

EU energy ministers meet

EU energy ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday to debate building energy bridges inside the union. In the current crunch, Italy and Austria pumped spare gas to Slovenia but Bulgaria is physically cut off from EU neighbours.

The snap ministerial is likely to review a 2004 directive on energy solidarity, which obliges EU states to act only if 20 percent of EU supply is affected for 80 days, meaning the 2009 crisis does not qualify.

Prague is also expected to urge EU action on the Nabucco project to bring in Caspian Sea gas directly to the EU. Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands have bought into competing new Russian pipeline projects instead.

US and EU breaking taboos to restrain Israel

The US abstained and all EU states on the UN Security Council backed a call for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza, as Europe prepares to also blacklist extremist Israeli settlers.

EU warns Russia over Moscow terror attacks

Europe has warned Russia not to use the weekend's terror attacks in Moscow as a pretext to escalate its war in Ukraine and crackdown on internal dissent.

EU summit risks failing Gaza once again, Ireland warns

Austrians and Czechs might block an EU statement calling for an Israeli ceasefire, Ireland warned, as leaders met in Brussels amid starvation in Gaza. Israel's conduct of the war meant it had "squandered the support they had", Leo Varadkar said.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us