Page 26 - bne_March2019_20190306 magazine

26 I Central Europe bne March 2019
Pipelay vessel Pioneering Spirit entered the Baltic Sea on December 12, 2018 on its journey to join the Nord Stream 2 construction fleet.
Poland concedes setback in quest to stop Nord Stream 2
bne IntelliNews
Poland’s hopes to stop the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline were dashed last week, as Germany and France joined forces to push through a compromise wording of amendments to the EU’s gas market rules that will result in the weakening of the bloc’s joint control over the controversial project.
Bickering over the pipeline, which will allow Russia to export gas directly to Germany via pipes laid on the Baltic Sea bed between the Russian town of Ust-Luga and Germany’s Greifswald, moves now to tripartite talks between member states, the European Commission, and the European Parliament.
The talks, known as trilogue in the EU jargon, are set to start on February 12. Poland will try to ensure the EU – and
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not just Germany, as the compromise wording has it – can hold as much authority over the pipeline as possible.
Poland, Romania, the Baltic states, as well as Ukraine, which is not in the EU, but through which a number of Russian
EU, Bulgaria and Hungary – seen as pro-Russian – see no problem with the pipeline.
The opposing eastern countries say the pipeline will present Moscow with an opportunity to bypass Ukraine and thus
“Poland, Romania, the Baltic states, as well
as Ukraine, which is not in the EU, but through which a number of Russian gas pipelines run to supply Western Europe, are all opposed to Nord Stream 2.”
gas pipelines run to supply Western Europe, are all opposed to Nord Stream 2. Among the eastern members of the
increase geopolitical leverage over Kyiv and the region, where anti-Russian sentiment runs strong.