Polish Briefing: The EC has a plan for subjecting Nord Stream 2 to EU law

What goes on in Poland on the 6th of November.

The EC has a plan for subjecting Nord Stream 2 to EU law

Brussels suggests subjecting all gas importing pipelines to EU law. This is how it wants to regulate the legally controversial Nord Stream 2.

The pipeline is criticized in Central and Eastern Europe, because it can ground Gazprom’s position and weaken chances of alternatives, like LNG terminal in Świnoujście and hit EU energy policy.

The Commission suggests that from 2018 all existing pipelines should fulfill four conditions: undiscriminating tariffs, transparent reporting, at least 10 per cent of capacity at disposition at third parties, and ownership undbundling.

Commissioners will vote the proposal on Wednesday. If the proposition passes, it will be handled to the European Council and Parliament.

Russians will hit PKN Orlen and Lotos refineries

Russians are responding to attempts of diversifying the sources of supplies. They want to sulfate the oil, what will increase the costs for Polish oil companies.

According to „Gazeta Wyborcza”, the recourse sent to Poland through Friendship pipeline and tankers from terminals on the Baltic sea, will be sulphated in 1,8 per cent. This decision has been made by Transient, to keep a better quality for oil delivered to China. This means larger costs of oil production for Orlen and Lotos refineries.

In the context of diversification of oil deliveries it is worth noting that PKN Orlen received its first oil delivery from the US. Lotos announced that it will receive its US delivery in November.