Energy in Italy

From Euractiv

Speaking after the EU summit held yesterday (27 May), Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made it plain that the EU executive would impose infringements on Bulgaria regarding the Gazprom-favoured South Stream pipeline, the construction of which is about to begin in breach with EU laws.

The EU Commission has launched a "pilot' procedures against Bulgaria over Sofia's legal amendments regarding the South Stream pipeline and plans to suspend the EDC's licenses.

Despite not being of "penal" essence, the procedures could prompt further measures by the Commission following their results, according to the Bulgarian National Radio.

Bulgaria will conform with the EU requirements on the amendments to the Energy Act, regarding the sea pipeline, said Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski in Varna. 

From Financial Times Website

By Christian Oliver in Brussels

Bulgarian authorities are poised to decide whether to eject a trio of Czech and Austrian electricity distributors in a case that is alienating Sofia's EU partners and raising suspicions of undue Russian influence.

MOSCOW - The realisation of the South Stream gas pipeline project in Serbia and Bulgaria is developing according to the plans, Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergei Naryshkin told the Russia-24 news channel.

Chairman of the Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin has assured that the construction of the Serbian and Bulgarian sections of the South Stream gas pipeline proceeds as scheduled.

Naryshkin, who was on a two-day visit to Belgrade in early May, said in an interview for Rossiya 24 TV that everything proceeded according to plan and the documents had been coordinated.

Bulgaria's deputy energy minister Ivan Ayolov confirmed, that the controversial amendments to the Energy Acts were coordinated with South Stream Transport, owned by Gazprom. 

“Of course they are coordinated,” Ayolov told Dnevnik.bg. “But it was not on their initiative or oversight.”

The most recent amendments to Bulgaria's Energy Act were allegedly suggested by the Russian state company Gazprom. 

In addition, Bulgaria agreed not to require access for third parties to the South Stream pipeline. The project is allegedly investigated by Bulgaria's Interior Ministry and the State Agency for National Security (DANS).  

Italy's Deputy Minister for Economic Development Claudio de Vincenti has confirmed the priority status of the South Stream gas pipeline project.

Energy sector screening, "no mention of South Stream"

BELGRADE -- Serbia's chief negotiator with the EU Tanja Miščević says screening on the energy sector and trans-European networks will be held in Brussels on Tuesday.

She underlining that Belgrade did not receive any concrete objections from the EU in relation to the South Stream gas pipeline.