SOFIA, August 07. /ITAR-TASS/. Bulgaria needs the South Stream gas pipeline, however, it will be built according to European rules, Bulgarian vice premier for economic policy Ekaterina Zakharieva said in an interview to the BTV television channel on Thursday.

“The European Commission suspects Bulgaria of violating the EU legislation in the South Stream gas pipeline construction, in particular, non-observance of competition rules. However, this does not mean that the project should be halted. We guarantee full assistance to the EC and will provide all the needed information to the commission so that it could look into the validity of their claims, we have voiced recommendations on the necessary changes in the project to continue South Stream construction,” Zakharieva said.

The vice premier confirmed that former Regional Development Minister Desislava Terzieva at the close of her office term signed the permission for the construction of the gas pipeline’s receiving terminal in the area of Pasha Dere near Varna and a compressor station.

“Clearly, the work under the project continues, the land has been sold and the construction beginning permit has been issued. But we so far have not seen the signed agreement, and the presidential administration has not received it either. Now we have requested the full relevant information. I’d like to emphasise that the project is important for Bulgaria and Europe, but it should be correctly structured to be not halted by the European Commission,” the vice premier said.

On August 5, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevniev, speaking of the tasks of the interim technocratic government of the country, expressed support to the gas pipeline construction project under European rules. However, South Stream will be frozen in Bulgaria, pending the European Commission’s decision,” the president said.

The main gas pipeline route of the Bulgarian section will be 541 km long. The project provides for the construction of a receiving terminal and three compressor stations in the area of Varna, Lozen and Rasovo with aggregate capacity of 300 MW.