EU says opening of Southern Gas Corridor is priority for European Commission

The opening of the Southern Gas Corridor is a priority for the European Commission, and this year will be pivotal for the Corridor with the ultimate decision on the pipeline route and the final investment decision on the entire project, EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger told Trend in an interview.

"The aim of the Commission has always been to open the Southern Gas Corridor for the EU in order to directly and physically link the EU gas market to the largest deposits of gas in the world in the Caspian Sea basin and the Middle East," Oettinger said.

With regard to the two pipeline options in the EU, pre-selected by the Shah Deniz partners, Oettinger said that the Commission is neutral as to where the gas ends up in Europe, and the Commission equally supports TAP (Trans Adriatic Pipeline) and Nabucco-West.

"Our policy remains that we firstly want to see a dedicated pipeline to be built outside the EU, and if its capacity is limited at the start, it should be ensured to legally and technically increase the capacity to transport higher volumes at a later stage when these become available; and secondly, we want a clear and transparent legal framework for the pipeline which would ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the EU," Oettinger said.