Slovakia is revolting against Nord Stream 2

Nine European countries wrote a protest letter asking Brussels to stop the Nord Stream 2 project; and Slovakia leads the revolting countries.

Nord Stream 2 should be built based on a contract between Russian Gazprom company and a consortium of five firms from western Europe.

Slovakia is currently waiting for Brussels’ response, Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Peter Stano said, as quoted by the Hospodárske Noviny daily. The European Comission's Commissioner for Energy Union Marian Šefčovič said that the EC is now preparing it.

Meanwhile, neighbouring countries are launching preparations for the new pipeline. German company Europipe which has a contract with the Russians for the supply of the gas pipes, however, has allegedly already paid 40 percent of the contract. In total, the pipeline should cost €8.4-9 billion. The economic daily wrote on April 21.

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The Czech Republic, which should become an important transit country after Nord Stream 2 is built, does not hesitate, either. Operator of Czech gas pipelines Net4Gas has started exploring how to increase transport capacities westwards.

Currently, the project is waiting for approval from the European Commission but also from the German regulatory authorities.

If the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was built, Slovakia and Ukraine would be the biggest losers; for Slovakia, the loss of the position of a transit country might mean a loss of about €400 million annually, according to Hospodárske Noviny.

21. Apr 2016 at 13:34 | Compiled by Spectator staff