Reverse gas flow deliveries from the EU to Ukraine
19.9.2013
Question for written answer P-010733-13
to the Commission
Rule 117
Lena Kolarska-Bobińska (PPE)
The Member States and the Commission have been discussing the question of reverse gas flow deliveries from the EU to Ukraine for some time. While technical agreements enabling such gas sales have been reached with Poland (Gaz-system) and Hungary (MOL Földgazszallito), no such agreement has yet been reached with Slovakia. This is significant as only the Slovak pipeline is of sufficient capacity — about 30 bcm — to deliver the intended volume of gas: without it, the gas deliveries would be very limited.
Current information suggests that Gazprom may be pressuring Eustreamto raise administrative issues, such as problems pertaining to shipper codes, and that Slovakia has been unwilling to sign a technical agreement with Ukraine, jeopardising the reverse flow of gas to Ukraine.
In addition to Slovakia’s lack of will, reports cite technical issues to be resolved concerning a gas metering station on the Ukrainian side of the border. There are also serious reasons to question the timing and commercial nature of Eustream’s tariff for the Lanžhot entry point (on the Czech‐Slovak border), which has been approved by the Slovak national regulator, ÚRSO. A 3.5-times increase of the entry cross-border capacity tariff may push RWE out of the market, thereby making it unprofitable to ship gas to Ukraine.
Could the Commission answer the following:
- 1.Is it taking any action with regard to these issues? Has it offered to assist efforts to reach such an agreement? Has it discussed these issues with the Slovak and Ukrainian transmission system operators concerned?
- 2.Does it believe that the technical issues can be overcome and, if so, what can it do to speed up the measures needed?
- 3.Does it believe that Gazprom should have any role in this discussion? If not, what pressure can the Commission apply to counter-balance such interference?
OJ C 206, 02/07/2014