Poland appeals the decision of the European Commission to expand Gazprom's access to the Opal pipeline
Poland has appealed to the European Court of Justice over a European Commission decision to expand Gazprom's access to the Opal pipeline. This was stated by the Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Joanna Wajda, Gazeta Prawna reported.
According to her, the decision of the EC leads to a concentration of supplies in a single source, which is contrary to the principle of diversification.
"According to Poland, this situation threatens the security of gas supplies to the EU, and particularly in Central Europe. This poses serious risks to the security of gas supplies to Poland, due to the fact that the supply will rely on a single country, Russia," Wajda said.
The OPAL pipeline, which connects Nord Stream with the gas pipeline system of the Western and Central Europe, allows for the transport of gas from the German part of the Baltic Sea coast to the border with the Czech Republic, thus bypassing Ukraine.
After the EC's decision, 50% of the pipeline capacity, which could transport 36 billion cubic meters per year, is not being used.
In October, the European Commission decided to increase Gazprom's access to Opal to 80%.