| Author (Corporate) | Council of the European Union, European Parliament |
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| Series Title | Official Journal of the European Union |
| Series Details | L 117 |
| Publication Date | 03/05/2019 |
| Content Type | Legislation |
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Summary: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 amending the Gas Directive in order to improve the functioning of the European Union's internal energy market. Background and further information: While EU law in general applies in the territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone of EU Member States, Directive 2009/73/EC (the Gas Directive) does not explicitly set out a legal framework for gas pipelines to and from third countries. As a result, following legal analysis, it has been concluded that the rules applicable to gas transmission pipelines connecting two or more Member States, which fall within the scope of the definition of 'interconnector', are not applicable to such pipelines entering the European Union. The amendment to the Directive aims to ensure that all major gas pipelines entering EU territory comply with EU rules, are operated with the same levels of transparency, are accessible to other operators, and are operated in an efficient way. This clarification intends to contribute to meeting the goals of the EU gas market, which include increasing competition between gas suppliers and providing a boost to energy security in the European Union. The proposed amendment was also a result of the debate around the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The European Commission presented the proposal on 8 November 2017. The European Parliament's plenary session adopted its negotiating position on 11 April 2018 and Member States' ambassadors backed a general approach on behalf of the Council of the European Union on 8 February 2019. An informal agreement between the institutions on a compromise text was reached on 13 February. The Parliament formally endorsed the draft amendment on 4 April, followed by the Council on 15 April. |
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| Subject Categories | Energy |
| Subject Tags | Energy Infrastructure, Energy Security, Energy Union |
| Keywords | Natural Gas |
| International Organisations | European Union [EU] |
