Ukraine, Poland Apply to Participate in Deal on Use of Opal Gas Pipeline

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Opal pipeline connects Europe’s gas transportation network with the Nord Stream pipeline, which was built in 2010 to supply Russian gas along a Baltic Sea pipeline to northern Germany.

"Naftogaz has submitted to the [Germany’s] Federal Network Agency formal request for participation in an agreement between Bundesnetzagentur, [Russia’s energy giant] Gazprom, Gazprom Export and OPAL Gastransport," the Bundesnetzagentur’s representative said, repeating the statement with regard to PGNIG.

European restrictions permit Gazprom only 50 percent of the Opal pipeline for Russian natural gas to be delivered across Germany to the Czech Republic. The restrictions are outlined in the European Union’s Third Energy Package that reserves the other half for independent gas suppliers.

In October, the European Commission expanded Gazprom's access to the gas pipeline by additional 40 percent, preserving the last 10 percent as a reserve for the third countries, which could be extended to 15-20 percent in case of high demand.

On Friday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that Ukraine and Poland were deliberately condemning the decision of the European Commission to expand access of Gazprom to the Opal gas pipeline's capacity.