Impact assessment in relation to the amendment of the Gas Directive

4.7.2018

Question for written answer P-003688-18
to the Commission
Rule 130
Werner Langen (PPE)

According to reports in the media, neither the Energy Ministers nor the EU ambassadors in the Council were able to agree on a common position to amend the existing Gas Directive. Rather, the questions published by the Council Presidency would seem to indicate that there are fundamental concerns that should be considered as part of an impact assessment. I would therefore like to ask the Commission the following questions:

• 1.In the light of these developments in the Council, and given the overwhelming number of critical comments from European industry and experts, does the Commission consider that its proposal does not merely constitute technical fine-tuning but rather a fundamental change which would therefore have required a comprehensive impact assessment?
• 2.Is the Commission now prepared to submit an impact assessment as soon as possible in order to provide a constructive response to the questions raised by its own proposal?
• 3.What is the Commission’s position with regard to the authorisations given by Germany, Finland, Russia, Denmark and Sweden for the planned Nord Stream 2 route in light of the blocking of the proposed modification of the Gas Directive?