Électricité de France

From Financial Times Website

By Christian Oliver in Brussels

Bulgarian authorities are poised to decide whether to eject a trio of Czech and Austrian electricity distributors in a case that is alienating Sofia's EU partners and raising suspicions of undue Russian influence.

MOSCOW - The realisation of the South Stream gas pipeline project in Serbia and Bulgaria is developing according to the plans, Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergei Naryshkin told the Russia-24 news channel.

Chairman of the Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin has assured that the construction of the Serbian and Bulgarian sections of the South Stream gas pipeline proceeds as scheduled.

Naryshkin, who was on a two-day visit to Belgrade in early May, said in an interview for Rossiya 24 TV that everything proceeded according to plan and the documents had been coordinated.

Bulgaria's deputy energy minister Ivan Ayolov confirmed, that the controversial amendments to the Energy Acts were coordinated with South Stream Transport, owned by Gazprom. 

“Of course they are coordinated,” Ayolov told Dnevnik.bg. “But it was not on their initiative or oversight.”

The most recent amendments to Bulgaria's Energy Act were allegedly suggested by the Russian state company Gazprom. 

In addition, Bulgaria agreed not to require access for third parties to the South Stream pipeline. The project is allegedly investigated by Bulgaria's Interior Ministry and the State Agency for National Security (DANS).  

Italy's Deputy Minister for Economic Development Claudio de Vincenti has confirmed the priority status of the South Stream gas pipeline project.

From EurActiv

Bulgarian Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev met with the EU's Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger Thursday (24 April) to discuss the future of the Gazprom-sponsored South Stream gas pipeline. But the two sides offered a widely diverging interpretation of the exchange.

The suspension of the South Stream gas pipeline is not being discussed, according to Dominique Ristori, Director-General of Directorate-General Energy of the European Commission.

The construction of the Bulgarian part of the South Stream pipeline will start in May or June in Varna, said Igor Elkin, executive director of the company South Stream Bulgaria. 

Russia's energy concern Gazprom is to acquire half of the shares of its Berlin-based subsidiary, South Stream Transport.

Gazprom's board of directors agreed that a total of 205 900 shares will be sold by Gazprom Germania to the main company, RIA Novosti reported.