The European Union has offered to negotiate with Russia on behalf of its member states about the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which aims to bring Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, Danish newspaper Politiken reported yesterday (29 March).

In a letter to the Danish government seen by the newspaper, the European Commission invites EU countries to provide their opinions about Nord Stream 2, clarifying that the pipeline cannot be operated in a “legal vacuum”.

The Commission will ask the member states for permission to initiate negotiations with Russia in order to reach an agreement that pivotal principles from the Union’s legal framework will be imposed on projects like Nord Stream 2, Commission Spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told the newspaper.

The EU is divided between Eastern European and Baltic Sea countries that fear a new pipeline carrying Russian gas across the Baltic will make the EU a hostage to Moscow – and those in Northern Europe, most especially the main beneficiary Germany, for whom the economic benefits take priority.

Sweden ready to provide port for Nord Stream 2 construction

The Swedish government said on Monday (30 January) that it would not hinder Russia’s Gazprom in its plan to use a southern Swedish port as a base for constructing a gas pipeline project that has raised security concerns.

Poland and other East European countries see in Nord Stream 2 a Russian plot to undermine the bloc’s strategic interests and competition rules.

Poland wants EU to ban Nord Stream 2

Poland wants the European Union to ban the construction of a second pipeline to pump Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, alleging it undermines the bloc’s strategic interests and violates competition rules.

Conversely, Western countries participating in the project see it as business enterprise and reject the accusations.

Nord Stream 2 official: We see a lot of smokescreens thrown around

The Third Energy Package does not apply to Nord Stream 2, as it doesn’t apply to any of the existing or future import pipelines into the EU internal market, and the European Commission accepts that, Sebastian Sass told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.

Tusk joins ‘Visegrad Four’ in attack on Nord Stream 2

The ‘Visegrad Four’ countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) found a powerful ally at the EU summit which ended today (18 December) in the person of Council President Donald Tusk, who repeated most of their arguments against the Germany-favoured project.