EC expects all member states to facilitate reverse gas flows to Ukraine

Photo: Reuters

The European Commission has said it expects the EU member states will fulfill a decision agreed by the European Council to facilitate reverse gas flows to Ukraine, reported Interfax-Ukraine.

"The message from the Commission is very clear: We expect all member states to facilitate reverse flows as agreed by the European Council... There is nothing preventing EU companies to dispose freely of gas they have purchased from Gazprom, and this includes selling this gas to customers both within the EU as well as to third countries such as Ukraine," European Commission spokeswoman Helen Kearns told the journalists in Brussels after Hungary suspended reverse gas supplies to Ukraine last night.

As reported, Hungary's gas operator FGSZ Ltd. has suspended shipments of gas to Ukraine for an indefinite period of time, the company said in a statement.

Ukraine's national oil and gas company Naftogaz said this move was unexpected and incomprehensible since Naftogaz has an active contract with FGSZ that regulates gas flow.

According to the company, this comes after Gazprom's CEO, Alexei Miller, met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on September 22.

Meanwhile, FGSZ Ltd in the posted on Friday report explained halt of gas shipping to Ukraine as being due to the necessity to boost levels at Hungary's storage facilities in the coming weeks.