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Poland Downplays EU Concerns Over Polish-Russia Gas Deal

Poland Downplays EU Concerns Over Polish-Russia Gas Deal
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Τρι, 31 Αυγούστου 2010 - 19:07
Poland expects to iron out the details of the new Polish-Russian gas agreement in negotiations with the European Commission, with the long-awaited agreement to be ready for signature "in a dozen or so days," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Tuesday.
Poland expects to iron out the details of the new Polish-Russian gas agreement in negotiations with the European Commission, with the long-awaited agreement to be ready for signature "in a dozen or so days," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Tuesday.

"Accepting the fundamental framework of this agreement, we're ready to discuss the details that require work with the European Commission," he told reporters. "I'm sure it's a matter of just a dozen or so days before this agreement is ready to be signed."

A spokesman for the commission said earlier Tuesday the commission is examining a proposed natural gas contract between Poland and Russia , and is concerned that the accord wouldn't comply with European Union rules that propose independent management of infrastructure and access to third parties.

Poland has been negotiating with Russia for more than a year and finally reached an agreement in December 2009, although it hasn't yet been signed. The potential contract mainly concerns Russian gas flowing to Poland via the Yamal pipeline.

Tusk said Tuesday his government is of the opinion that the agreement complies with the Polish law and EU rules, giving the role of the pipeline's operator to state-owned firm Gaz-System.

Polish state-controlled gas company PGNiG SA (PGN.WA) believes the unsigned Polish-Russian gas agreement negotiated last year complies with the current laws of the European Union, and the EU's objections against the deal come from a relatively low level in the European Commission, its chief executive Michal Szubski also said Tuesday.

"Low-level correspondence with the EU doesn't constitute the all-powerful voice of the Commission and doesn't influence Polish-Russian relations," he told a press conference Tuesday. "We believe the long-term contract complies with the current law."

At present, the Yamal pipeline's Polish section is operated by EuRoPol Gaz, a joint venture between PGNiG and Russia 's OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS).

Under the deal negotiated last year, Gazprom agreed to boost gas supplies to Poland to the maximum of 10.2 billion cubic meters a year, measured in accordance with Polish norms, and 11 billion cubic meters, measured according to Russian norms. The existing supply contract, the Yamal contract, which was signed in 1996, has been extended until 2037 from the originally agreed year of 2022.

The parties have also agreed to prolong an earlier deal for gas transit using the Yamal-Europe pipeline to Germany until 2045.

The deal between PGNiG and Gazprom is expected to pave the way for Russia and Poland to approve changes to an intergovernmental gas-supply agreement, PGNiG said. The two governments signed the amendments last year, but Poland has been waiting for the corporate agreement before ratifying the changes.

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