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Brussels Pipes Up: 'All Sides Should Rethink Nord Stream 2's Feasibility'

© Sputnik / Igor Zarembo / Go to the mediabankConstruction of Nord Stream pipeline
Construction of Nord Stream pipeline - Sputnik International
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European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic has called for a resumption of the discussion on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, according to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

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All the parties concerned should re-evaluate the feasibility of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

He urged the sides to jointly estimate how much gas the EU will need in the coming years, review the existing supply routes and find the most reasonable and optimal solution. According to him, the parties may finally decide on either the construction of the Nord Stream 2 or the better use of existing capacities, including those related to liquefied natural gas.

© Sputnik / Alexei Kudenko / Go to the mediabankThe Portovaya booster station where the the second section of the Nord Stream gas pipeline was launched.
The Portovaya booster station where the the second section of the Nord Stream gas pipeline was launched. - Sputnik International
The Portovaya booster station where the the second section of the Nord Stream gas pipeline was launched.

At the same time, Sefcovic expressed doubt over the Nord Stream 2 being a commercial project which complies with legislation.

"For me it's hard to see the Nord Stream 2 as a purely commercial project. The pipeline's possible construction will drastically change the European gas supply system, with the EU getting 80 percent of Russian gas via one route, in violation of the energy security requirements," he said.

Earlier, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported that the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project and the termination of gas transit through politically unstable Ukraine could allow Germany to secure supplies from Russia.

The Nord Stream 2 is a proposed gas pipeline that would pass under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, to provide an additional route for Russian gas to be delivered to Germany. The pipeline could provide up to 55 billion cubic meters per year in direct gas supplies from Russia.

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The Russian energy giant Gazprom started the project with a consortium of five large European energy companies, namely, BASF, EON, Engie, OMV and Shell. The project plans to use the original Nord Stream pipeline for 86 percent of the route before branching off.

On February 4, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the completion of the pipeline would boost Europe's energy security, a statement echoed by Germany's special coordinator for Russia policy, Gernot Erler.

While Germany has reaffirmed its interest in the project, some EU member states, such as Poland and the Czech Republic, are opposed to Nord Stream 2 over fears of increased energy dependence on Russia.

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