The Russian gas industry giant Gazprom in 2011 trying to start construction of the pipeline “Nord stream — 2” through the Baltic sea to Germany. The draft of the first gas pipeline “Nord stream — 1” — the company has already implemented. Then it led to significant conflict between Poland and Germany. “Nord stream — 2”, despite a new wave of criticism from Poland and the objections of the European Commission, the European Parliament and most countries-EU members — should be built until 2019 или2020. Then 70% of Russian gas goes through the Baltic route.
However, the future of the “Nord stream — 2” looks bad. No need to have the ability of the predictor to understand that Putin’s pet project becomes a reality. Berlin needs to understand that the project does not fit into the overall balance, and to protect the rest of the European debate on this issue. Without this “Nord stream — 2” is contrary to all the main goals of EU energy policy.
At the last meeting of the Council of EU Ministers of environment formed a strong front, speaking to the European Commission conducted negotiations with Moscow on the frameworks of the project “Nord stream”. The formal mandate of the European Council will give the European Commission, probably after the summer. The negotiations of the EU means that the idea of the Minister of foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel to hold the “Nord stream — 2” the legal field to bypass the European energy law failed.
How quickly the EU will manage to agree with Russia framework agreement, is unclear. However inevitable a significant delay. To obtain the necessary permissions from Sweden and Denmark Gazprom to clarify the situation can not count. In addition, the agreement between the EU and Russia must be approved by the European Parliament. It’s hard to believe that, who knows how many times he had voted against the “Nord stream — 2”.
Chancellor, it is that the question of the “Nord stream — 2” publicly finished with excuses to not have to take a position on the substance of the disagreement about the scale of the energy dependence on Russia. Now she has to decide to prevent the dangerous development of the situation. If it is fast, then you’ll be able to avoid the fact that German stubbornness will be an obstacle then, when the EU a chance for new developments.
In a westerly direction Germany is building political bridges to the Emmanuel Macron, to re-enact a traditional axis of the EU. Relations with the East more difficult than they were before the merger. To avoid the opposition of East and West within the EU, since foreign Minister Genscher generations of German politicians have worked hard to expand the Franco-German axis to triangle “Paris-Berlin-Warsaw.” It is today all the more important because in Poland the rules are very complicated partners.
“Nord stream — 2” which is harmful from the point of view of ecology and energy policy in the current situation becomes a major stumbling block in a possible breakthrough in the EU. So Berlin should not continue to waste your energy on the pipeline project. We have more important things to build.
