Agreement between Romania and Russia on natural gas imports expires at year-end

A highly important international agreement between Romania and the Russian Federation on the gas imports in Romania and the transit of natural gases through the country will expire at the end of the year, whereas another agreement, similar to the first one, will cease at the end of 2016. The first agreement was signed in 1996, and the second one was concluded in 1986. Romania denounced both deals at the end of 2011, because they were not compatible with European Union treaties. However, they had to stay in force until the end of 2015, respectively 2016, reports local Profit.ro. These conventions blocked the access of third parties, such as potential gas exporters from Romania, to the Romanian gas pipes, as their transport capacity was exclusively reserved by Gazprom. Also, the conventions provided that Romania couldn’t export the natural gases imported from Russia to third parties without Gazprom’s consent. This provision, which is also included in the contracts concluded with other countries in the region, proved extremely important last year. Russia used it to block the supply of gas to Ukraine by countries such as Hungary or Slovakia, when Russia stopped the gas supply to Ukraine. editor@romania-insider.com