Russian state gas firm OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) Friday secured backing for its South Stream gas pipeline from European energy giants Electricite de France SA (EDF.FR), Eni SpA (E) and Wintershall AG, heating up the battle between Russia and the European Union over competing pipelines.

Friday's agreement deepens the commitment of the three European giants to the long-discussed pipeline and sets the stage for a final investment decision on South Stream, according to a statement by the consortium. Equally important, in lining up the top executives from three energy heavyweights from France , Germany and Italy at a signing ceremony on the Russian Black Sea, Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller sent a powerful message of support to Brussels as the European Commission continues to press the controversial Nabucco pipeline.

"The signing demonstrates that the partner companies agree that South Stream is not only strategically important in the medium and long term, but that it is also a commercial opportunity not to be missed," said Marcel Kramer, CEO of South Stream. South Stream is "an obvious priority in many EU capitals," he added.

The South Stream shareholder agreement will give Italy 's Eni a 20% stake in the offshore section of the pipeline, EDF and Wintershall a 15% stake each, for a total of 50% shared among the European heavyweights. Gazprom will hold a 50% stake, the consortium said in a press release.

The South Stream pipeline is envisioned to ship up to 63 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas a year under the Black Sea to European customers from 2015. Construction would cost 15 billion euros, according to a preliminary estimate.

The EU has endorsed the rival Nabucco pipeline to diversify Europe 's gas supply sources away from Russia by tapping into Caspian gas.

Experts have been skeptical about the feasibility of Nabucco, because in its first phase it would rely on gas from Azerbaijan able to fill only one third of its capacity, while it remains unclear where the project will source the rest of the gas from to fill its annual 31 bcm of expected capacity.

The EU - and especially its eastern European countries - heavily depend on gas imports from Russia , mainly through Ukraine . Price disputes between Moscow and Kiev are giving new value to pipelines that would bypass Ukraine , like Nord Stream, which will soon carry gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea -- and South Stream.

At the same time, Brussels ' effort to increase competition in the EU domestic energy market has raised some tensions with Moscow .

According to EU rules, the owners of a pipeline must allow access to competitors, unless an exemption is granted by the EU. The pipelines also have to be managed independently from energy production, so that there is no risk that the owner abuses its powers. Gazprom has publicly opposed the EU rules.

These provisions --which have complicated recent gas negotiations between Russia and Poland-- would also be applicable to South Stream once it reaches the European border.

The South Stream spokesman said new EU regulation has raised "certain questions about how it will apply to the South Stream project."

A feasibility study of will be finished soon, which will determine the route of both the offshore and onshore section of the pipeline, South Stream said.

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