The gas contract between the Hungarian energy company MVM and the Russian Gazprom does not violate European legislation. This was stated in an interview with the agency Reuters EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Tuesday 12 October.
“As far as I know, there is nothing illegal in the deal between Hungary and Gazprom, nothing that would be contrary to European legislation,” he said.
Earlier on the same day, The Financial Times blamed the Europeans themselves for the gas crisis in Europe, who over the past decade “have increased their dependence on Russian gas.” It was noted that the United States is unable to compensate Europe for the fuel shortage. The EU receives 41% of its gas consumption from Russia, while the UK receives much less. Despite this, leaps in gas prices on world markets are reflected in London.
On October 1, Gazprom began supplying gas to Hungary via the Balkan Stream gas pipeline and pipelines in South-Eastern Europe. The Balkan Stream is a continuation of the Turkish Stream. The Russian side and Budapest signed a contract for the supply of this resource for a period of 15 years on September 27. The document assumes the supply of 4.5 billion cubic meters. meters of gas annually bypassing Ukrainian territory.
The signing of the agreement provoked a sharp reaction from Kiev. The Ukrainian authorities have expressed their intention to apply to the European Commission for an assessment of the conformity of the new Hungarian-Russian gas agreement with European energy legislation.
On October 6, the Hungarian Prime Minister attributed the energy crisis to the mistakes of the European Commission. In his opinion, one of the reasons for the crisis in the European energy market was the mistakes in the actions of the EC.
On the same day, the gas price in Europe at the opening reached an all-time high, reaching $ 1,900 per 1,000 cubic meters. m, but later dropped. The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that due to speculation on climate problems and a reduction in investments in the extractive industry, hysteria and confusion had arisen in Europe’s energy markets. He believes that the transition to alternative energy sources should be smooth.