EU opposes US sanctions vs Nord Stream-2 on European firms

BRUSSELS, Dec 4 (PRIME) -- The European Commission opposes sanctions of third countries against European companies that are conducting legal business, Peter Stano, representative of the commission’s press office, told PRIME on Friday commenting on the possible extension of the U.S. sanctions against the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project.

The extraterritorial application of sanctions contradicts the international law, Stano said, adding that the European policy is determined in Europe, not in third countries.

The E.U. is ready to defend interests of European companies, Stano said.

The U.S. Congress has agreed the defense budget, which includes expanded sanctions against the Nord-Stream 2. Both budget versions, from the Senate and the House of Representatives, included some measures targeting the pipeline. The expansion is likely to concern, in part, companies that facilitate sale, rent or use of pipe-laying vessels.

Oliver Hermes, chairman of the German Eastern Business Association, said that the U.S. sanctions against the Nord Stream-2 project undermine the European sovereignty. He also said that the project has grown in importance over the past few months as it could be filled with hydrogen up to 70% of the capacity in the future.

“We do not see any international legal basis for the U.S. sanctions, which breaches the sovereignty of the E.U. and is targeting European companies. The exclusively European project, such as Nord-Stream 2, should be regulated by European companies and countries rather than the US ones,” Hermes said.

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