If the regulator decides that the Nord Stream 2 (NS-2) gas pipeline does not comply with European Union (EU) standards, then the German authorities will not be required to pay compensation. This was announced on January 21 by the Minister of Economy, Vice-Chancellor of the country Robert Habek.
“Currently, the Federal Grid Agency has suspended the certification procedure. If it is renewed, this procedure will have to decide whether the conditions for approval are met in accordance with German and European regulations. And if this is not the case, then no compensation is due, ”Habek said in an interview with Spiegel.
In addition, Khabek said that SP-2 has always been a “geopolitical project”, since when it is launched, it will be possible to do without the transit capacities of Ukraine.
A day earlier, the Prime Minister of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig, said that Nord Stream 2 needs to be certified as soon as possible, Germany needs it.
At a meeting of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy, Schwesig expressed the opinion that Berlin needs to focus on dialogue and interaction with Moscow. Also, the Prime Minister of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern said that gas supplies from Russia to Germany will make it possible to make the transition to renewable energy sources.
On January 19, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the delay in the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project had a negative impact on both market participants and gas consumers in Europe.
On January 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with his counterpart from Germany, Annalena Burbock. Following the meeting, Lavrov drew attention to the counterproductiveness of attempts to politicize the pipeline. He recalled that SP-2 is the largest commercial project of the last decade aimed at ensuring the energy security of Germany and Europe.
The construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was completed on September 10, 2021. It was built from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea for the purpose of direct gas supplies to Europe. The EU countries mainly support the project and participate in its implementation. The Baltic States, Poland, the United States and Ukraine are opposed.
In November, the German regulator suspended the certification of Nord Stream 2 AG as an independent operator of NSP-2. The procedure can be continued when a subsidiary is created in Germany for the German part of the pipeline.
