The European Court of Justice dismissed a lawsuit from Nord Stream 2 AG, the operator of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, challenging EU regulations regarding pipeline operations, according to Ukrinform.
The ruling, published on the court's official website, upheld the European Union's Gas Directive, which mandates the separation of pipeline ownership from gas supply operations and ensures third-party access to infrastructure.
Nord Stream 2 AG, a subsidiary of Russia's Gazprom, argued for an exemption under the directive, which applies to pipelines completed before May 23, 2019.
However, the court determined that Nord Stream 2 AG's investments occurred without assurances that EU legislation wouldn't later apply.
It noted that the company should have anticipated the possibility of such regulations being extended to pipelines involving non-EU countries, like Nord Stream 2.
The court emphasized that the EU's legislative bodies acted within their legal framework, upholding the principles of legal certainty, equal treatment, and proportionality.
The directive exempts pipelines completed before May 23, 2019, from certain rules, but Nord Stream 2 did not qualify as it was not operational by the cut-off date.
This ruling aligns with the EU's 2020 decision rejecting lawsuits from Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 AG over similar regulatory challenges.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, designed to bypass Ukraine by transporting Russian gas directly to Germany under the Baltic Sea, faced delays and regulatory hurdles.
In September 2022, explosions severely damaged both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, leading to leaks in Denmark and Sweden's economic zones.
Russia blamed Ukraine and the U.S. for the attacks, allegations denied by Ukrainian authorities
