The updates are not necessary as the European legislation is fully applicable to companies and infrastructure in the European Union, to which the undersea pipeline is connected, the Vedomosti newspaper reported.
Germany reportedly concluded that the European Commission had not been able to prove that the suggested changes could facilitate the Energy Union, a secure internal market with affordable and environment-friendly energy.
The legal exports reportedly expressed concern over potential new powers on the internal energy market that the European Commission might get through this draft law, while initially intergovernmental agreements were under the purview of participating countries.
READ MORE: WWF Russia Says Not Against Nord Stream 2 Construction Provided Route Changes
In November 2017, the European Commission proposed updates to the directive to ensure that all EU rules, including third-party access, tariffs, partial ownership and transparency, apply to all pipelines, which would concern the undersea portion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, expected to extend from Russia to Europe.
Nord Stream 2 is a joint venture of Russia’s Gazprom with France's Engie, Austria’s OMV AG, UK-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, and Germany's Uniper and Wintershall.
German officials and businessmen have sided with Russia to accomplish the project, with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and then-Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern issuing a joint statement last summer, calling on Washington to stop interfering with the EU’s energy security.
