While addressing the issue of the Nord Stream-2, the Commission should consider the following threats. If built, this highly political pipeline construction will:
1.Undermine the long-term efforts of Europe’s energy independence from Russia by encouraging additional substantial investments;
2.Reward Russia for its aggression in Ukraine and Georgia by moving to business as usual relationship with Moscow;
3. Bypass Central and Eastern European NATO, EU and allied countries, and undermine the longstanding Alliances and European solidarity;
4.Increase Germany’s dependency on Russian energy, granting Moscow stronger leverage for political blackmail against Berlin;
5.Further contaminate European countries with political corruption and money laundering schemes, with Gazprom and its affiliates;
6.Aggravate military tension in the Baltic Sea and weaken NATO’s freedom of operation in the region, additionally increasing espionage capabilities in the Baltic Sea basin; and restrict freedom of navigation (NS-1 and cases of Szczecin and Swinoujscie ports);
7.Contribute to de-facto co-funding by European companies of Russia’s hybrid and conventional warfare capabilities, which Russia has actively employed against Europe;
8.Subject European companies involved in the project to American sanctions imposed against Russia, thus negatively impacting broader US-EU relations;
9.Contradict EU Energy Union principles and Third Energy Package in particular;
10.Present substantial environmental risks and challenges;
How does the Commission address each of these risks and what efforts is taking to prevent this hostile project from materializing?
Anna Fotyga, Written question to the Comission, 10/07/2018
