The European Parliament is demanding that the European Commission start investigating Russia’s Gazprom. It is trying to shift the responsibility for rising gas prices onto it
Brussels is unhappy that the company has reduced fuel supplies to the European market. Against this backdrop, gas prices have risen substantially. However, Gazprom stressed that it had not violated any agreements: it is still fulfilling all its contractual obligations. At the same time, the company has every right to reduce transit. The example was given by the US, whose LNG suppliers reduced exports to Europe by more than 17 billion cubic meters.
But 43 MEPs appealed to European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and called for an urgent investigation. The Lithuanian MP posted a copy of the letter to the EC on Twitter. In it, Gazprom was accused of “potentially violating EU competition rules”.
It is worth noting that most of the signatories represent countries with an active Russophobic policy: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland. They are trying to blame Gazprom for the current situation in Europe.
Of course, reducing transit through Ukraine and Poland may have had an impact on pricing, but that is neither the only nor the main reason. Alexei Grivach, deputy director of the National Energy Security Fund (NESF), notes that Europe has reduced its own production and also supplies less LNG.
Russia is ready to cooperate with the European market. The construction of Nord Stream 2 is fully completed and Gazprom is ready to put fuel through it. However, the EU itself is trying to delay its commissioning, thus aggravating the situation on the market. For example, the EC intends to delay the certification of NSP2. So far it has given a deadline of two months, but it may extend it at any time.