Energy policy

Russian energy concern Gazprom is to slash gas deliveries to Poland by 24 percent, Polish state company PGNiG has announced.

Gazprom has not yet commented on the information, but experts suggest the step comes in retaliation to the prospect of new EU measures against Moscow.

Supplies dropped by 20% on Monday, according to PGNiG officials.

Caretaker Economy and Energy Minister Vasil Shtonov spoke in favor of a gradual rise in electricity prices in the next years.

After the Council of Ministers held its regular session on Wednesday, he warned deficits in the energy sector could grow further unless urgent measures are adopted in the energy sector.

Slovakia starts shipping natural gas to Ukraine.

The Vojany-Uzhgorod reverse gas pipeline, which passed tests successfully in August, is to supply up to 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Ukraine at a price of USD 360 per 1000 cubic meters, down by USD 25 from the price offered by Russian Gazprom to Ukraine, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio.

By Henning Gloystein

LONDON - The European Union could ban gas exports and limit industrial use as part of emergency measures to protect household energy supplies this winter, a source told Reuters, as it braces for a possible halt in Russian gas as a result of the Ukraine crisis.

The EU urgently needs to develop a common energy strategy to cope with its dependence on Russian energy supplies, Bulgaria’s caretaker Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov has said.

Russia, EU and Ukraine will renew gas talks soon and the concrete date will be set next week, according to EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger.

Oettinger met with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller in Moscow on Friday.

The centre-left government in Romania has decided to postpone a planned 3-per-cent rise in the price of natural gas prices for households, due in October, following disagreements over gas exports with the European Commission.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger will meet in Moscow on August 29, Russia's Energy Ministry said.

Kiev is prepared to pay an interim compromise price for Russian gas, energy minister Yuri Prodan said, and criticised Russia's Gazprom for being unwilling to negotiate.

Bulgaria will launch talks with green energy producers and power stations Maritsa Iztok 1 and 3 to draft a new model for setting electricity prices, a cabinet minister has said.

According to caretaker Economy and Energy Minister Vasil Shtonov, the new pricing model should benefit both the state and the energy companies.