The certification process for the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline will remain suspended in Germany until the operator makes the necessary changes since the project still does not meet EU requirements, Germany’s foreign minister said on Monday as quoted by the Italian newspaper La Stampa
According to Annalena Baerbock, the new government in Berlin demands that all requirements be met before certification given that the future launch of Nord Stream 2 has geopolitical implications.
The German Federal Network Agency, the Bundesnetzagentur, suspended projects’ approval in Germany in mid-November after the insisted that operator Nord Stream 2 AG create a German subsidiary.
Noting that the process will resume when the firm migrates, the German Energy Ministry described the suspension as an interim step and regulatory issue.
Baerbock reiterated the federal government’s stand that all energy projects in Germany, including the Nord Stream 2, must comply with European requirements, which is not the case with the controversial project at the moment, so the certification process has been suspended.
She stressed that in case Moscow uses energy as a weapon against Ukraine, Berlin also has an agreement with the US, which vows to use tough measures against Russia.
Washington and Kyiv have vehemently opposed Nord Stream 2, which now connects Russia to Germany without passing through any third country, which argues that it’ll reduce the EU’s energy security and increase Europe’s reliance on Russian gas.
The fact is, however, that Ukraine is losing a significant amount of money in fees since the pipeline bypasses it and the US is not ok with the fact that by making the gas transit less reliant on third parties, Russia will lower the commodity’s price.
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