The European Parliament has expressed the belief that the South Stream gas pipeline should not be built and that the European Union should help Ukraine to resolve its gas disputes with Russia. The European Parliament adopted the relevant resolution in Strasbourg on Thursday, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reports.
According to the resolution, there is currently an "urgent need for a strong common energy security policy (an Energy Union), with the aim to reduce the EU’s dependency from Russian oil and gas including the diversification of energy supply, the full implementation of the Third Energy Package and the possibility of suspension of gas import when necessary.”
"[The European Parliament] is of the opinion that South Stream should not be built and other sources of supply should be made available," the resolution states.
In addition, the resolution expressed the conviction that that EU assistance to Ukraine in securing reverse flow of gas through further diversification, enhanced energy efficiency, and effective interconnections with the EU “will strengthen Ukraine from political and economic pressures.”
"[The European Parliament] welcomes the initial measures adopted by the Commission so as enable Ukraine to tackle an energy crisis in case Russia cuts gas supplies to this country and urges the Council and the Commission to assist and support Kyiv in its efforts to solve the long standing gas dispute with Moscow," the resolution states.
Earlier, Bulgarian media circulated photographs showing that the South Stream gas pipeline’s pipes on the territory of the country have already been dismantled.
