Russian - Turkish Stream to be considered by European Commission

Russian - Turkish Stream to be considered by European Commission. (Taz).

The Turkish Stream project will be considered by the European Commission, the Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic, who is in charge of Energy Union, told reporters Feb.12, commenting on the possibilities of the project.

“The Turkish Stream has been announced recently, and we will consider how much gas they want to transport to Europe,” he said. “Southern Gas Corridor is already much more developed and is the main source of diversification of gas supplies to Europe.”

He said that the EU should examine all long-term contracts with Gazprom and other companies, which may change, so all the details should be discussed.

Russia announced the closure of the South Stream gas pipeline project in early December 2014. This pipeline was to run through the Black Sea and deliver fuel to Balkan states, as well as Hungary, Austria and Italy through Bulgaria.

The Russian side said it abandoned the project due to the non-constructive position of the European Union as well. Instead of the South Stream, it was decided to construct a pipe to Turkey and create a gas hub on its border with Greece for the consumers in Southern Europe.

Russian Gazprom and Turkish Botas companies have already defined the route of the new gas pipeline. The gas pipeline will pass 660 kilometers in the old corridor of South Stream and 250 kilometers in the new corridor in the direction of the European part of Turkey.

Plans are to sign an intergovernmental agreement on the gas pipeline in Q2 of 2015 and to supply the first gas in December 2016.

The Southern Gas Corridor will allow Europe to diversify its hydrocarbon supply sources and strengthen energy security and also will allow Azerbaijan to obtain a new market in Europe. Hmmm.....Who in his right mind would trust two dictators like Putin and Erdogan to provide your Natural gas?

Related: Southern Gas Corridor to help Europe achieve its strategic objective

"In Corruption we Trust" - Corruption across the EU costs some 120 billion euros ($162 billion) per year

Corruption across the EU’s 28 countries costs some 120 billion euros ($162 billion) per year, the European Commission said Monday, urging member states to do more to stamp out the problem.

The EU’s Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said the actual figure could be even higher, despite amounting to the EU’s entire annual budget or a little less than one percent of the bloc’s total economic output.

“This is an estimation,” Malmstroem said as she presented the report, the bloc’s first, “so probably it is much higher.” 

The report will hopefully “spur the political will and the necessary commitment at all levels to address corruption more effectively across Europe,” she said. “The price of not acting is simply too high.”

The report does not rank the countries as to the seriousness of the problem nor suggest legal remedies, with Malmstroem saying that could follow after talks with member states.

But “one thing is very clear — there is no ‘corruption-free’ zone in Europe,” she said.

She said research showed that one in 12 EU citizens had experienced corruption in the past year while four out of 10 companies regard it as “an obstacle for doing business within the EU.”

The report reviews how existing laws and policies work and suggests what further effort could be made. Malmstroem singled out public procurement, notably tenders for construction projects, as a major cause of concern. The report did not cover corruption in the EU’s own institutions with the bloc’s finances reviewed by the separate Court of Auditors. Hmmm....I wonder which leadership each country has?More here.

The monster they are trying to create.

HT: KleinVerzet.