MOSCOW, September 11. /ITAR-TASS/. First deputy head of the industry committee of the State Duma lower house of Russia’s parliament Vladimir Gutenev has urged Gazprom on Thursday to discuss the possibility of limiting or stopping the supplies of natural gas via Ukraine to Europe that is used for following reverse supply.

Gutenev sent an MP inquiry to Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller, requesting the natural gas monopoly head to provide available information about the EU reverse gas supplies to Ukraine and their compliance with the contracts signed with the EU countries.

“As no response has been received from Gazprom yet, and the information about the re-export of Russian gas by European buyers to Ukraine is confirmed, I believe that we should discuss the need for limiting or stopping gas supplies on the Ukrainian route,” the lawmaker said. The Nord Stream pipeline capacities, reserved and not used under the EU Third Energy Package, may be used for ensuring the current gas exports to European countries, he said.

According to the lawmaker, “Gazprom should use the time of possible limiting or stopping gas supplies for maintenance and planned repair operations on the Ukrainian track for the preparation for the winter period of gas supplies to European consumers.”

“If the Europeans need gas - they, as consumers, cannot dictate the way they want to receive it. I think the proposed measures will be able to seriously motivate the European partners to implement the South Stream project,” Gutenev said.