MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. Suspension of certification for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline operator is associated with procedural, rather than political matters. However, overly slow rates of this procedure make the gas pipeline launch probable by the end of the heating season in the best case, Senior Director of Fitch natural resources and commodities team Dmitry Marinchenko told TASS. 

"The case is more probably with procedural, rather than political point. Germany supports the project consistently and there is no use in looking for conspiracy in this case. The certification proceeds rather slowly in broad terms - the project will be most probably launched by the end of the heating season in the best case," the expert said.

Such situation "creates uncertainty on the market — it is unclear so far whether Gazprom is ready to significantly increase supplies to Europe before Nord Stream 2 launch," Marinchenko noted.

The German Federal Network Agency said on Tuesday that it suspends the process of Nord Stream 2 AG certification as an independent gas pipeline operator. The operator’s certification can only be considered in case the company has the corporate form under the German law. In other words, the regulator demands that Nord Stream 2 AG transfers the main capital related to the German segment of the pipeline to its German subsidiary. The certification process will be suspended until that time.