Bulgaria halts gas pipeline construction amid EU criticism

The South Stream gas pipeline project, which Bulgaria signed on to in 2009, is in direct competition with EU-backed Nabucco project

9 June 2014, 12:45pm
by Staff Reporter

1 min read

Bulgaria’s prime minister, Plamen Oresharski, has ordered a halt to work on Russia’s South Stream pipeline, on the recommendation of the EU. The decision was announced after his talks with US senators.

The Gazprom-financed pipeline would ship gas to western Europe via the Balkans, thus avoiding Ukraine.

The European Commission had sent Bulgarian authorities a letter at the start of the month, asking them to suspend work on the project.

The EC claimed Bulgaria may have broken EU public procurement laws by choosing local and Russian bidders. Russia’s Energy Ministry said it had not yet received any official notification from Bulgaria on work on the project being suspended.