23.07.2021 – 15:47
A day after the US and Germany announced an agreement allowing the completion of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, senior officials acknowledged that neither the White House nor the Chancellery has the authority to implement some of its most important components.
As a major protest was raised by opponents of the Russia-led pipeline project, Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged that her deal with President Joe Biden was unlikely to resolve their political differences, and many remained insecure.
“The agreement with the US government does not cement the differences, but neither does it bridge all the differences,” Merkel told a news conference.
“The differences remain.” Regarding the agreement, she added: “It is an effort between the US government and us to set some conditions that must also be met.
“I am pleased that we have succeeded so far,” Merkel said. “And we also have a lot of tasks ahead.”
These tasks are not small and include overcoming fierce opposition from some members of the US Congress, persuading some extremely dubious EU countries to get on board and persuading Russia to liberalize its sector remove itself from the 9.5 billion-euro pipeline and pay Ukraine some extra 20 billion euros by 2034 to offset the loss of gas transit tariffs – which the new pipeline would effectively make unnecessary.
While some influential Germans – particularly former chancellor and current Nord Stream 2 board chairman Gerhard Schröder – have been instrumental in securing the pipeline completion, Berlin may have little or no influence over Moscow once construction and gas are completed. to flow.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee who co-authored U.S. sanctions legislation aimed at the pipeline, said she was “skeptical” of the deal given that “the main player at the table – Russia – refuses to play rules ”
Kiev dissatisfied
Perhaps the biggest obstacle will be the political and legal challenges posed by the Ukrainian government, which has made it clear that it does not intend to give in to the whims of Berlin and Washington.
Merkel, for her part, insisted that Germany was determined to ensure that “Ukraine remains a transit country and that energy cannot be used to put Ukraine in a difficult situation.”
However, given the geography of Ukraine, it will inevitably remain in a difficult situation.
McPhie, a spokesman for the commission, said Brussels was happy to hear that Germany intended to comply with EU energy law as part of its agreement with Washington.
“The Commission takes note of the statement by the governments of Germany and the United States and welcomes Germany’s strong commitment to adhere to the letter and spirit of the Third Energy Package regarding Nord Stream 2,” he said.
What remains to be seen is whether the Commission will have the courage to oppose whether Germany’s energy regulator will allow the pipeline to operate without full compliance with EU gas rules – a concern often repeated by members. Germans of the European Parliament Green Group.
Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, the former deputy director general of the Commission’s energy department, said in 2019 that Brussels should not accept any technical solution – but the Commission’s decision to intervene is not technically required.
Another question is to what extent Brussels and Berlin are now legally obliged to evaluate regulatory approval for Nord Stream 2 in the context of Ukraine’s existing pipelines.
Translated and adapted by Politico.eu/ konica.al
