BRUSSELS, March 15. /TASS/. The date for the European Parliament (EP) to vote on draft amendments to the EU Gas Directive has not yet been fixed and will be announced after March 18, a European source told TASS on Friday.
Voting at the EP plenary session in Brussels on April 3-4 remains probable, the source said. "The voting date at the European Parliament’s session has not yet been determined. We assume it will be indicated after the EP committee approves the directive. Not many options will be left after that for voting at the session before expiry of the mandate of current convocation of the European Parliament [elections to EP will be held on May 23-26 - TASS]. The session on April 3-4 in Brussels remains the working options but this date is not confirmed," the source noted.
EU Gas Directive
The revised Gas Directive is to come into force prior to the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project and will apply to it because of that.
On February 20, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU approved the text of amendments to the EU Gas Directive endorsed on February 12 at technical talks between the European Parliament, the European Commission and the EU Council.
The revised Gas Directive is to extend the norms of the EU’s Third Energy Package to offshore pipelines on the territory of the EU. They contain the requirement that a gas-producing country cannot be the owner of such infrastructure facilities, whereas 50% of the pipeline’s capacity should be reserved for pumping gas from independent suppliers.