Energy Union

The EU's energy ministers are to meet in Bulgaria's capital Sofia on February 9 for a meeting run by Commission Vice-President Maro? ?ef?ovi?, media reports suggest.

Only EU member states will be part of the meeting though a recreation of the energy landscape in Southeast Europe in general will apparently be on the agenda, according to Brussels-based website EurActiv.

Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov held a working meeting with ambassadors of EU member states to Bulgaria on Monday, at which topics such as Ukraine, the Energy Union and refugees were discussed.

Russian energy giant Gazprom has urged the European Union to link up to its planned energy pipeline to Turkey or lose the gas that now transits Ukraine.

European Union energy chief Maros Sefcovic has backed the idea of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to turn Bulgaria into a gas hub for EU countries.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is due to meet EU Commission Vice President Maro? ?ef?ovi? on Monday, the government's press office has said.

The abandoned South Stream gas project, Bulgaria's alternatives to guarantee energy security, and its effort to put forward a gas hub project as a substitute to the scrapped pipeline are to top the two politicians' agenda.

EU will have a stance on Bulgaria's idea to build a gas hub at the Black Sea after a formal proposal has been prepared, EU Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva has said.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is set to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday.

Borisov, who headed the government for a second term in October, is on an official visit to Berlin at the invitation of his German counterpart.

The abandoned South Stream gas pipeline and EU funding is due to top the two leaders' agenda.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has told EU official Maros Sefcovic that Moscow will no longer pursue the South Stream project, the Commission says.

In a statement the European Commission explains Novak held a phone conversation with Sefcovic, who is Vice President for Energy Union, on Thursday.

The two discussed "the Russian plans as regards the South Stream project."

EU plans to "continue discussions on South Stream"

BRUSSELS -- The European Commission will continue discussions on the South Stream gas pipeline despite the announcement of Russia that the project was dead.

"The next meeting" on this subject will be held on December 9, said European Commission Vice President for Energy Maros Sefcovic.

EU should back the Southern Gas Corridor, a project rivaling the South Stream gas pipeline, as a means to provide security of energy supplies, Slovakia's EU Commissioner designate Maroš Šefčovič has said.