Court: Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Not Exempt From EU Rules

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany will have to obey European Union regulations that separate owners of the pipelines from suppliers of gas, a German court ruled on Wednesday, dealing a blow to Russian gas giant Gazprom who sought to have EU rules waived for the controversial pipeline. Under the EU Gas Directive, pipeline operators in the European Union must ensure fair competition by allowing access to third parties. Nord Stream AG, the consortium behind the pipeline, has said that extending the EU directive to a pipeline from…