Medvedev Criticizes EU Over Energy Market

DAVOS, January 23 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev accused EU countries on Wednesday of creating obstacles on the energy market.

“On critically important markets, primarily the energy market, unnecessary obstacles to effective work are being erected. This is especially lamentable because the existing rules of the game are being retroactively changed. We see the actual seizure of previously created assets and the breach of previous accords,” Medvedev said at the World Economic Forum at Davos, apparently referring to the EU Third Energy Package.

The EU Third Package for Electricity and Gas markets aims to separate production and supply from transmission networks, facilitate cross-border trade in energy, increase the effectiveness of national regulators, and promote cross-border collaboration and investment, greater market transparency on network operation and supply, as well as increased solidarity among the EU countries.

The package, if implemented, would have implications for vertically-integrated state energy companies like Russia’s Gazprom.

Russia is not against change, but it is important the result is beneficial for all parties concerned, Medvedev said.

“Moreover, we ourselves are interested in such changes but unilateral actions lead to other consequences and this is unacceptable for Russia,” Medvedev said, adding Russia would continue dialog with the EU on this issue.

 

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