Economy
Commission not happy that Hungary turned off gas to Ukraine
Hungary's gas pipeline network operator FGSZ said on Thursday it was indefinitely suspending gas supply to neighbouring Ukraine for technical reasons. Ukraine state-owned gas firm Naftogaz branded the move "unexpected and unexplained".Responding to a question at the daily midday press briefing on Friday Helene Kearns, Spokesperson for European Commissioner Vice-President Siim Kallas, said that “on this issue the message of the Commission is very clear. We expect all member states to facilitate reverse flows as agreed by the European Council, in the interest of a shared energy security."
She added that there is “nothing preventing EU companies to dispose freely of gas they have purchased from Gazprom and this includes selling this gas to customers both within the EU as well as to third countries such as Ukraine."
Kearns reminded that the trilateral talks - between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission - are ongoing in Berlin today, as the parties are brokering a deal to avert a winter gas supply crisis.
Naftogaz urged its "Hungarian partners to respect their contractual obligations and EU legislation".
“Naftogaz calls on the EU to ensure a collective solution to the energy security of Europe and the respect of EU internal rules. Neither EU countries nor Ukraine should be put under political pressure through energy blackmail," Naftogaz said in a statement on its website.
Hungary, which is heavily reliant on Russian gas, has storage capacity of about six billion cubic metres, but its storage facilities are currently a little more than 61% full, the lowest percentage in the European Union, data from Gas Infrastructure Europe showed.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a radio interview aired today that Hungary's storage would be boosted at an increased pace in the coming weeks and that, regardless of the severity of the Ukraine crisis, Hungary must avert a situation in which its people do not get the energy they need.
"I had talks with the Russians, the leader of Gazprom, about this, that we will need a large amount of gas in the coming period to increase the stored volumes," he said. "And we will get this large amount." However, he did not indicate how much additional gas Hungary would receive.
She added that there is “nothing preventing EU companies to dispose freely of gas they have purchased from Gazprom and this includes selling this gas to customers both within the EU as well as to third countries such as Ukraine."
Kearns reminded that the trilateral talks - between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission - are ongoing in Berlin today, as the parties are brokering a deal to avert a winter gas supply crisis.
Naftogaz urged its "Hungarian partners to respect their contractual obligations and EU legislation".
“Naftogaz calls on the EU to ensure a collective solution to the energy security of Europe and the respect of EU internal rules. Neither EU countries nor Ukraine should be put under political pressure through energy blackmail," Naftogaz said in a statement on its website.
Hungary, which is heavily reliant on Russian gas, has storage capacity of about six billion cubic metres, but its storage facilities are currently a little more than 61% full, the lowest percentage in the European Union, data from Gas Infrastructure Europe showed.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a radio interview aired today that Hungary's storage would be boosted at an increased pace in the coming weeks and that, regardless of the severity of the Ukraine crisis, Hungary must avert a situation in which its people do not get the energy they need.
"I had talks with the Russians, the leader of Gazprom, about this, that we will need a large amount of gas in the coming period to increase the stored volumes," he said. "And we will get this large amount." However, he did not indicate how much additional gas Hungary would receive.
