Bulgaria
’s Minister of Economy and Energy
Vasil Shtonov has ordered
Bulgaria
’s Energy Holding to halt any
operations on theSouth Streamgas pipeline project, according to the
official statement.
The operations were suspended as they do not
meet the requirements of theEuropean Commission,
Bulgaria
’s Ministry of Economy and Energy
said on its website on Monday.
The South Stream pipeline, expected to carry
Russian gas across the
Black Sea
to Southern and Central European countries, is aimed at diversifying
export routes for Russian gas.
According to Ria Novosti, t
he project stalled when the European
Commission expressed concern that Russia’s bilateral agreements with European
transit countries, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary andSlovenia, violate
the EU Third Energy Package. According to these legislative proposals, the
pipelines in the EU cannot belong to the natural gas extractors.
South Stream constructionbegan in late
2012, with the first deliveries expected in 2016. The pipeline is to
become fully operational in 2018.