MEPs voice grave concerns about Nord Stream 2 project

The Nord Stream 2 project goes against the objectives of the Energy Union, harms solidarity among EU member states and should be considered from a geopolitical as well as an economic perspective, said MEPs in a debate with Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete on Monday evening in Strasbourg.

Several MEPs stressed that Nord Stream 2 could not further the aim of diversification, but on the contrary would increase dependency on one supplier. Some argued that the project is not justified economically or in climate action terms and instead reflects geopolitical motives. Most MEPs asked the European Commission to put an end to the Nord Stream 2 project as soon as possible.

Commissioner Cañete said that the project “would likely change the current setup of the gas market” and that the Commission had contacted the German authorities to get all the necessary facts to assess the project. Mr Cañete stressed that the EU law must be applied and obeyed in all aspects of the Nord Stream 2 project and that “all projects should align to Energy Union policies”.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, run by a consortium led by the Russian gas company Gazprom, aims to build new pipelines that would double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream gas connection from Russia to northern Germany under the Baltic Sea. The new pipelines could be completed by the end of 2019.

You can replay the plenary debate here