EU might support Russian South Stream pipeline project. The EU Observer reports:
German energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger on Tuesday (2 March) for the first time signaled openness on behalf of the EU executive towards South Stream, a Russian gas pipeline running through the Black Sea, and seen as a rival to Europe’s similar project, Nabucco. “South Stream could be backed by the European Commission on condition that it meets the technical requirements for security,” he said on the sidelines of an energy forum in Bulgaria, AFP reports.
Mr Oettinger argued that the Gazprom-backed project would “increase the capacity” for gas imports in Europe and “set up a new infrastructure,” alluding to the fact that currently 80 percent of Russia’s exports to the EU transits through Ukraine. It is a widespread view among German experts that the Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis, which also had an impact on EU consumers, was Kiev’s fault and an “alternative route” via the Black Sea would prevent a repeat performance.
Mr Oettinger’s comments are a first, however. So far, the EU commission has stuck to the line that it neither opposes nor backs the construction of South Stream, which is seen as competition to Europe’s own project, the Nabucco pipeline, and which would bring gas from the Caspian region directly to southern and eastern Europe via Turkey. (…)
Unlike Nabucco, which is promoted by gas companies and former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer, South Stream is being promoted directly by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who managed to secure a handful of political agreements with Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia or Austria to back the scheme. Croatia on Tuesday also signed up as a potential buyer of South Stream gas.
If built, South Stream will tap the same resources as Nabucco was intended for – the gas-rich Caspian region, which currently can only export via Soviet-era infrastructure transiting Russia. Nabucco was designed precisely to lower Europe’s dependence on Russian gas imports, which reaches almost 100 percent in Bulgaria and Hungary. (…)
(Oettingers) comments came amid strong criticism from Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who lashed out at the European Union and the United States for paying Nabucco only lip service. “All countries in western Europe and the United States have declared the project a priority. But, what I see is that it is a priority only in words,” he said. “The US and the European Commission must make it clear why this project is still at point zero.”
Power struggle over EAS. Behind the scenes, commission and member states fight over influence on the EAS, the EU’s future diplomatic corps. Main points of contentions are control over development policy and the appointment of the heads of EU embassies. The EU Observer reports:
Talks between the EU executive and national diplomats over the organisation of the External Action Service (EAS) took a combative turn last week after the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton, circulated in Brussels a series of “vision papers” – seen by EUobserver – on the new institution. One source close to the discussions described them as “very frosty, pretty tense,” with the commission representatives saying the Ashton documents seemed to offer a leading role for the Council of Ministers, representing the member states.
The European Council asked Ms Ashton to decide how she would be setting up the service by April. Discussions are ongoing with the commission and the council to make sure that everyone is on board before the decision is finally taken in April. But it is understood that feelings are now running so high that the commission is considering withdrawing public support for the proposals. The commission feels that member states are encroaching on parts of policy territory thought of as its own, while member states think the commission, if not exactly making a power grab, is overstepping the mark. (…)
A commission official meanwhile suggested that while talks are “tough”, the discussions “are very much a work in progress and Ms Ashton is in listening mode at the moment, aiming to shape a consensus that meets all concerns.”
The Irish Times has more on the debate on appointments for top positions in the EAS:
A leaked German paper that said Britain has assumed an “excessive” and “over-proportionate” role in EU foreign policy is seen by senior officials in Brussels as a pre-emptive strike against any attempt by Baroness Ashton to appoint a fellow-Briton to the post of EAS director general. The position, akin to that of the secretary general of an Irish Government department, will be critical to the evolution of the EAS. British diplomat Robert Cooper, who is director general of foreign policy in the European Council, is in some quarters seen as an obvious contender for job. However, informed sources said it would be politically impossible for Baroness Ashton to appoint him. Instead, they said, Mr Cooper could well take the post of political director in the EAS, an influential position in the upper tier of the institution.
While the assignment of key posts could yet be far away, well-versed sources said the issue was “live” in diplomatic circles in Brussels. “Every foreign ministry has exactly the same objective: to get as many of their people in as possible,” one said.
Both Germany and France are said to have set their sights on the top civil service post in the EAS. However, their position may be weakened by the fact that they have already struck a deal for own officials to rotate the top administrative position in the European Council. French EU official Pierre de Boissieu, was last autumn appointed secretary general of the European Council, which is the assembly of EU governments. The top EU advisor to the German government, Uwe Corsepsius, is expected to take that role in succession to Mr de Boissieu at the end of his mandate.
Ashton said to be shocked over attacks on her, the Telegraph says:
Baroness Ashton is said to be shell-shocked over the continuing attacks on her appointment, her lack of prior elected office and her alleged lack of foreign policy experience. But today one senior EU official said: ”The blame lies with the system that appointed her, not the holder of the office herself.”
Read today on Global Europe: What future for NATO? A Global Europe online colloquium. With contributions from leading EU foreign and security policy experts: Daniel Korski, Fabrice Pothier, Fraser Cameron, Ivan Krastev, Jolyon Howorth, Paweł Świeboda, Nick Witney and Anand Menon.
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