Berlin today hosted the 3rd International Conference “The Energy Dialogue Russia – the European Union: Gas Aspects” organized by the Russian Gas Society (RGS).

Taking part in the conference on the Russian side were Stanislav Tsygankov, Head of the International Business Department of Gazprom, Valery Yazev, Vice Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Head of the RGS, Alexander Shokhin, Head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Konstantin Kosachev and Natalia Komarova, Chairmen of the Russian Federation State Duma Committees on International Affairs and Natural Resources as well as Matthias Ruete, Director General of the EU Directorate-General for Energy and Transport and Domenico Dispenza, President of Eurogas.

Stanislav Tsygankov delivered a speech on the Third Energy Package and Its Impact on Gas Business in Europe focused on the existing situation in the European gas market and the prospects for its development in the context of the proposals made by the European Commission in September 2007.

Stanislav Tsygankov pointed out that “the Third Energy Package must become one of the main subjects in the energy dialogue between Russia and the EU since in contrast to the previous legislative initiatives by the European Commission it is beyond the scope of the EU’s internal issues and affects the interests of gas exporters”. He also noted that “in order for the long-term partnership ties between Europe and producing countries to be successfully promoted, Russian companies have to be confident about the inviolability of their property administration rights and a high level of infrastructure investment security”.

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The Third Energy Package is a legislative initiative of the European Commission containing proposals on how to overcome the difficulties arisen in the European energy market in the process of its liberalization.

The major provisions of the Third Energy Package imply ownership and legal unbundling of vertically integrated energy companies and limitation of investments from third countries.