/ world right now information/ Brussels and Warsaw towards Berlin and Moscow
One other try by the European Fee (EC) to forestall the development of the Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline has two elements: authorized and financial. From a authorized standpoint, a request has been made to “fill the authorized vacuum”, which, because the European Fee believes, exists when the pipelines go by means of impartial waters. As for the financial view of the issue, the European Fee is of the opinion that the extra volumes of fuel is not going to be sought by the nations which are members of the EU, till the extent of consumption of this gasoline doesn’t improve.
Why this sudden headache due to the infamous “authorized vacuum”? This identical “vacuum” doesn’t forestall the provision of fuel to Europe from Algeria or Libya, doesn’t hinder the development of the Trans-Adriatic fuel pipeline – with the great help of this identical European Fee. An analogous authorized drawback didn’t come up within the instances of the unimplemented initiatives (fuel pipelines to Europe from Iran or Qatar). Furthermore, when it comes to filling the “authorized vacuum” the present proposal of the EC contradicts the skilled opinion of the authorized service of the European Council obtained a month in the past, in keeping with which the authorized laws of the EU (the Third Vitality Package deal) can’t be distributed within the territory positioned outdoors the borders of the EU. The carried out experience was ordered by Germany, as a result of it’s right here that provides of Russian fuel are deliberate, through which the German corporations Wintershall (a subsidiary of the BASF concern) and Uniper (created in 2015 because of the reformation of the power concern E.ON) are co-investors of the undertaking.
The second a part of the European Fee’s demarche (the forecast for consumption) contradicts most skilled conclusions, which boil right down to the truth that even with stagnation within the quantity of consumption, import demand will increase because of the discount of manufacturing within the EU nations.
Together with the talked about German corporations, the Austrian OMV, the French Engie and the British Shell additionally intend to spend money on the implementation of the undertaking 10% of its worth, which makes 950 million euros every. However in “filling the authorized vacuum” – by the use of the principles of the Third Vitality Package deal – the European Fee is placing beneath assault the opportunity of recovering the funds spent on the fuel pipeline. How else can this be known as if not “twisting the arms of European enterprise”? In any case, corporations have been relying on Brussels to guard their pursuits from American sanctions beneath the regulation signed by Trump in August of this 12 months. Good safety. Gazprom and its overseas companions obtained a solution to their request for clarification on these sanctions on November 10. On the identical time, the European Fee was engaged on one other shock for the contributors within the fuel market.
With the scenario thus created within the “shock” included the withdrawal of Ukraine, by means of which the primary circulation of Russian fuel presently flows. Does the EC suppose that the transit will proceed past the dependence on the technical situation of the Ukrainian fuel transmission system, which precipitated concern in the beginning of the XXI century? As a result of already in 2003, a tripartite consortium for the administration of the fuel transmission system (GPS) was created with the participation of Ukraine, Russia and Germany, however that was the tip of the matter: the Ukrainian facet suspected its Russian companions of an try and encroach on its nationwide property. Then the brand new Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, initiated the adoption of a regulation to present the standing of nationwide property to the fuel transmission system passing by means of its territory. In 2009, after high-profile scandals between Russia and Ukraine over fuel transit and its cost, the Europeans – taking part in alongside – outsmarted Ukraine by signing a joint declaration on the modernization of the fuel transmission system (GTS).
In the long run, Russia was cornered, and modernization by no means happened. Lastly, the explanation why the EC right now has no cause to concern for the restore of the GPS grew to become clear: the Italian-registered firm Rothschild SpA took over this job as a month earlier … it had received a young for the privatization of the Ukrainian fuel transmission system. So the “nationwide property” of Ukraine will go into Rothschild’s palms.
It appears that evidently Nord Stream 2 has very decided opponents, the Western enterprise press notes. The conclusion will not be unique, given the truth that his opponents have lengthy been identified.
In Europe, the flagship of the struggle towards Nord Stream – 2” is Poland, which with aggressive rhetoric on power safety points seeks to help its request for management within the European Union – a request that has already been fulfilled by means of the nation’s participation within the Mediterranean undertaking” and the Japanese Partnership initiative”. This geopolitical recreation is a dough combined with ostentatious vassal devotion to the USA and persistent Russophobia.
In relation to power, the Poles are additionally in search of monetary acquire. Of their relations with Russia, they use blackmail – for instance, the assertion of the Polish Minister of International Affairs Witold Waszczykowski in August of this 12 months that the contract for the transit of Russian fuel by means of the Yamal pipeline could be ignored solely in trade for a reduction within the worth of fuel provides for Poland. The grandiose plan of the Polish strategists, nevertheless, is to make their nation a provider of pure fuel for the entire of Central and Japanese Europe – getting fairly respectable cash for it. The dearth of personal assets doesn’t matter, Poland claims the position of an power hub that distributes gasoline to its neighbors from Norway to the USA and Qatar (for this function, a terminal for receiving liquefied pure fuel was constructed).
In Poland, a particular place has been launched for an official licensed to be accountable for power infrastructure points. Piotr Naimski offers with this, extensively promoting his political credo: “We’re positioned between Russia and Germany. The pursuits of the Polish state typically don’t coincide with the pursuits of our neighbors. And if it involves a scenario the place our neighbors come to an settlement towards Polish pursuits, it could imply the partition of Poland or a brand new Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact”. Based on Naimski, the opposition to “Nord Stream-2” represents “a strategic competitors that we’re obliged to cope with, discovering methods to provide pure fuel unbiased of Moscow and Berlin.”
It is very important word that Russian fuel could be delivered to Poland not solely by means of the Yamal fuel pipeline”but additionally from Germany, however the Polish facet doesn’t reply to the Germans’ proposals to obtain from the blue gasoline by means of the already constructed fuel pipeline “Nord Stream – 1”. The unshakable Polish hegemony as soon as once more results in an exacerbation of the opposition between Outdated and New Europe alongside the “West-East” gradient”. It’s curious that Warsaw strongly objects to the German-French mannequin “Europe at completely different speeds”, dividing the European Union into main and secondary nations.
For its half, the German authorities, as the most important importer of pure fuel within the EU, has at all times beforehand handled Nord Stream 2 as a purely business undertaking and has subsequently opposed the development with politically motivated assaults of the fuel pipeline. Now, nevertheless, the response of the German authorities to the EC assertion is greater than lukewarm. The Ministry of Economic system and Vitality acknowledged that it “takes word of the proposals of the European Fee and intends to review them fastidiously”.
As is well-known, negotiations are presently underway in Berlin for the creation of a authorities coalition, and apparently that’s the reason the opponents of Nord Stream 2” launch their assault now. Related negotiations are going down in Austria, which additionally helps the undertaking. The CEO of the OMV firm, Rainer Seele, instantly states that as a transit zone, Germany is considerably extra dependable than Ukraine. And it truly is.
Nonetheless, the issue will not be solely that Angela Merkel is presently busy with questions concerning the building of a brand new cupboard, in addition to with the composition of the coalition beneath dialogue. The “Greens” are participating within the negotiations, and so they strongly object to the development of “Nord Stream – 2”. It will observe that this occasion, a fighter for a clear pure surroundings, must be obliged to defend using fuel – since it’s exactly this that finest enhances inexperienced electrical energy. Nonetheless, the Greens have agreed to withdraw their demand for coal energy vegetation, however – as earlier than – are against Nord Stream 2. On the identical time, they don’t seem to be embarrassed by the prospect of blue gasoline being imported through a fuel transmission system from the USA – though the American fuel is extracted utilizing hydraulic fracking know-how, which Europe has deserted for environmental causes.
The thought of a pipeline from Russia doesn’t enchantment to the “Greens” in Germany for purely political causes. Anna-Lena Baerbock, who participated within the coalition negotiations, considers it absurd that the problem of the development of the fuel pipeline is being handled – taking full accountability for it – by the federal government of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. That her occasion, which obtained low help within the parliamentary elections, is getting ready to dictate its phrases to the brand new authorities doesn’t trouble Frau Baerbock within the least.
The transformation of the “Greens” from a celebration of protest to a celebration of the institution oriented in direction of “transatlantic solidarity” has been accompanied by its rejection of axioms in local weather coverage (the target benefit of fuel era over coal; the benefits of nuclear energy vegetation , associated to the struggle towards greenhouse fuel emissions).
From the standpoint of ecology, even the Poles appear extra sincere than the “Greens” in Germany. In Poland, nearly 3/4 of the producing capability within the electrical energy trade makes use of native coal (black and brown), and the Belkhatov TPP is repeatedly the chief in anti-ratings for “soiled” enterprises within the European Union. Coal mining gives jobs for Poles; additionally ensures export of the uncooked materials. Due to this fact, Poland is extra occupied with preserving the present power consumption buildings than within the pricey “local weather coverage”.
fondsk.ru
Translation: Elena Dulgerova
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