Written by Alex Benjamin Wilson (4th edition, updated on 27.05.2019),

Icicles on a pipe pipeline
© Leonid Ikan / Fotolia

In November 2017, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal to fully apply key provisions of the 2009 Gas Directive to gas pipelines between the European Union (EU) and third countries. Member States would need to cooperate with third countries to ensure full compliance with EU rules. The revised directive was seen by many observers as a part of the broader EU response to the Gazprom-led Nord Stream 2 project, which the European Commission publicly opposes.

The Parliament adopted its position on the gas directive in plenary on April 2018, whereas the Council adopted its general approach on 8 February 2019. This was swiftly followed by a single trilogue meeting on 12 February 2019 at which the EU institutions reached a provisional agreement. The agreed text was later formally adopted by Parliament and Council, and entered into force on 23 May 2019.

Interactive PDF

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2009/73/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas
Committee responsible: Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) COM(2017) 660 of 8.11.2017

procedure ref.: 2017/0294(COD)

Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’)
Rapporteur: Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland)
Shadow rapporteurs: Dan Nica (S&D, Romania)
Zdzisław Krasnodębski (ECR, Poland)
Morten Helveg Petersen (ALDE, Denmark)
Neoklis Sylikiotis (GUE/NGL, Cyprus)
Benedek Jávor  (Greens/EFA, Hungary)
Dario Tamburrano (EFDD, Italy)
Barbara Kappel (ENF, Austria)
Procedure completed. Directive (EU) 2019/692
OJ L 117, 3.5.2019, pp. 1-6