Warsaw requires speeding up work on changes in EU gas directive, which complicates the construction of Nord Stream 2, Vice Prime Minister of Energy of Poland Michal Kurtik, Polish Radio reports.

“In late June, EU ambassadors should deal with the gas directive. It is the result of many months of hard and meticulous work of Polish diplomats”, the minister said.

According to this directive, all offshore gas pipelines, including import, will be subject to EU law.

According to the minister, Bulgaria, which presided over EU in the first half year, slowed down the pace of work on the document.

“In November, 2017, the European Commission suggested changes in EU gas directive. Bulgaria, which presided over the European Union, confined itself to the expert meetings and did not transfer voting to the level of ambassadors and ministers”, Polish radio emphasizes.

Starting from July 1, Austria will preside over EU.

According to Mikhal Kurtik, Poland anticipates objectivism, but not protection of their own interests, from Austria’s presidency.

“The presiding country should take the neutral position. We will remind that EU presidency should be transparent and trustworthy”, he emphasized.

Today, the complete sets of permissions for construction and operation of the gas pipelines Nord Stream 2 were issued in Germany, Finland and Sweden.

Denmark did not approve the final decision on issuing permission.

Since 2019, the gas transport corridor should annually transport about 55 bln cubic meters of the Russian gas from RF to Germany through the Baltic sea.

The opponents of the project – Poland, Baltic states, Ukraine, Moldova, U.S. and Denmark – state that Nord Stream 2 will increase EU dependency on Gazprom, which supplies about the third of gas volumes to EU.