Gazprom suggests Europe to join South Stream

A legal adviser to “Gazprom”, a Professor at Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas A.Konoplyanik came up with tan idea for the launch of South Stream gas pipeline by-passing Ukraine. The Third European Energy Package is against it, Izvestiya writes.

The Third Energy Package obliges the owner of gas to share the pipeline capacity with the third-party companies, which is profitable neither to “Gazprom” nor the investors of the project. A.Konoplyanik suggests introducing an item to the Third Energy Package, which allows the main gas consumers to “join” the projected gas pipeline and reserve the necessary gas volume. In the case of a shortfall of gas the item provides for penalties.