site.btaBulgaria Requests Additional Information on Gazprom's Commitments, May Ask for Deadline Extension to Submit Comments

Bulgaria Requests Additional Information on Gazprom's Commitments, May Ask for Deadline Extension to Submit Comments

Sofia, April 24 (BTA) - Caretaker Energy Minister Nikolay Pavlov told journalists here on Monday that there are many ambiguities surrounding Gazprom's commitments in response to the European Commission's (EC) anti-trust case against the Russian energy giant. "We are waiting for a reply and if we do not get the necessary information promptly, we will ask for a deadline extension, because the information is insufficient, said Pavlov.

The Energy Minister's comments came after he took part in a meeting, initiated by caretaker Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdjikov with GERB, during which the Ministry has presented information about the position of the Bulgarian State-owned energy companies on Gazprom's proposed commitments in the case with the EC.

On March 13, the Commission invited all interested parties to submit their comments on Gazprom's commitments within seven weeks. Pavlov noted that the May 4 deadline is not "preclusive".

The Energy Minister noted that Gazprom's proposed commitments are included in the contracts with Bulgargaz, Bulgartransgaz and the Bulgarian Energy Holding. "We accept them as being positive, but would like to see them broadened so that the companies' and the State's interests can be protected," he said.

He gave as an example that Bulgargaz is not banned from exporting natural gas. Former energy minister Delyan Dobrev of GERB noted that Bulgaria supports the lifting of re-export bans from the agreements with other countries. The other two points are related to the intersystem connectivity and the claim waver against Bulgarian counterparts in regards South Stream, which has been settled with the signing of the investment decision in 2012, the Minister noted.

Answering a question, Pavlov said that a series of steps are needed to negotiate a new natural gas price, while Delyan Dobrev noted that the current procedure concerns clauses in the contracts and not new prices. If new negotiations are held, it will be at a later stage, Dobrev added.

Pavlov said that he will initiate a hearing and a debate in Parliament, which is expected to happen by this week's end. This, according to him, is necessary because a national position requires that all parliamentary groups are acquainted with the issue, along with a joint statement. Former energy minister Temenouzhka Petkova also noted the importance of Bulgaria having a single position on the issue. She said that it is important for Bulgaria to maintain its position as a transit centre and that its interests are protected by possibility of holding future negotiations with Gazprom and re-negotiating better conditions and prices, related to the supply of natural gas.

Former energy minister Traicho Traikov of New Republic, who was among those invited to the meeting with Gerdjikov, said that debating the issue in Parliament will allow for a broader expert community to contribute with their views on the Bulgarian position, which in his words, must aim to protect three strategic goals - pricing, freedom and flexibility of the market, and Bulgaria's position as transit flows centre.