UPDATE: Poland contests EU decision on Gazprom access to OPAL pipeline

(Adds comments by Russian official in last two paragraphs)

WARSAW/MOSCOW, Dec 19 (PRIME) -- The Polish government has filed a complaint to the European Court of Justice about the European Commission’s decision to expand Russian gas giant Gazprom’s access to the OPAL gas pipeline, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Joanna Wajda said, as cited by PAP news agency on December 18.

“According to Poland, this situation threatens the safety of gas supplies to the European Union, in particular to the region of Central Europe. It poses a serious risk to the safety of gas supplies to Poland via the dependence on a single source of supply from Russia,” Wajda said.

Under the third energy package rules, Gazprom has access to 50% of the capacities of OPAL, or to 12.8 billion cubic meters. The European Commission decided in October that Gazprom will retain its right to use half of the pipeline capacity and will be given admission to auctions for 40% more. The company expected new rules to take effect already in January 2017.

A trading unit of Poland’s PGNiG has recently filed a suit against the European Commission’s decision on OPAL, while Naftogaz Ukrainy said it was considering three options to contest the decision, including in court.

Russian Ambassador to the E.U. Vladimir Chizhov said on Monday that Poland is late with the filing a lawsuit contesting the European Commission’s decision to expand Gazprom’s access to OPAL.

“This (Poland’s suit) is a step against the Nord Stream-2, against Russia. There will not be any consequences, because, first, they are late with filing this suit. A period for contesting is over. And second, I think that the political nature of this step is obvious not only to the E.U. court, but to any impartial observer,” he said.

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