Russia to study EU deal, 3rd Energy Package - Shmatko
MOSCOW. Nov 18 (Interfax) - Russia will be analyzing the legalities of an earlier-concluded agreement with the European Union and the effect of the 3rd Energy Package where it touches on gas issues, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko told reporters.
"We already have a cooperation agreement with the EU concluded long ago that stipulates the condition of non-deteriorating conditions for investment. The Third Energy Package was introduced after it," Shmatko said. The legal aspects are being examined to determine how much the package provision contradict the earlier agreement with the EU, he said.
Russia and the EU plan an energy dialog for late November or early December, in the context of which the package will be discussed.
Shmatko said that in his view Russia's position on the legal aspects as to the application of the energy package is fairly strong. "At Gazprom , the position on this matter could be rather strong," he said.
In the event the analysis finds there to be contradictions between the package and the earlier deal, Russia will defend the principle that the package does not apply to its projects, he said. "We have always said that we will defend our position with all legal means," he said.
Shmatko said that Russia and the EU have not completed the process of adjustments to this agreement. "We are now in the process of [making] these adjustments," he said.
The package took force this past March, but provides a two-year adaptation period. It envisions the separation of production capacity (extraction in the case of natural gas and generation for electricity) from transportation networks (gas pipelines or high-tension power lines).
Requirements unbundling capacity do not only apply to European companies, but also to foreign energy concerns operating on the EU market, including Gazprom .
Russia considers it necessary to further study and refine the 3rd Energy Package, because in a worst-case scenario gas transport infrastructure belonging to Gazprom will be alienated.