The European Commission continues campaign against South Stream

Bulgaria received new claims against South Stream.

The EU resumed its campaign against the Russian South Stream gas pipeline project. Now the European Commission appeared to challenge the correctness of the tender for the construction of the Bulgarian section of the pipe, which was won by a consortium of local companies and "STG" of Gennady Timchenko, who is in the U.S. sanctions list . Brussels demands a halt the project at the time of the proceedings, Sofia is still ready to continue.

The European Commission (EC) proposed to freeze the South Stream gas pipeline project, through which "Gazprom"’s gas has to go through the Balkans to the European Union, until it is brought into line with the EU legislation. On June 2nd the corresponding letter was sent to the Bulgarian authorities, the first EU country the pipeline is passing through, Sabine Berger, the Representative of the EU Energy Commissioner, Guenther Oettinger, told "the Kommersant". According to her, the suspicions against Sofia over the irregularities in the allocation of contracts for the construction of the pipeline were added to the EC claims that the South Stream violates the EU energy legislation. Almost all of them are with the Russian or Bulgarian contractors. Bulgaria is given a month to reply. Last week Jose Manuel Barroso, the head of the European Commission, the expressed his concerns to Plamen Oresharski, the country's prime minister, and stated that if Sofia does not give explanations on the gas pipeline project, then sanctions will follow.