August 2011, Vol. 238 No. 8

Projects

Lithuania Bars Gazprom From Operating Pipelines

Lithuania’s parliament adopted legislation barring Gazprom from owning or operating pipelines in the country.

This conforms with the European Union’s Third Package of energy market legislation that went into effect in March and is due for full implementation by 2014. It requires separating the gas supply business from the transportation business, if both are concentrated in the same hands.

Lithuania became the first EU member country to start implementing this EU legislation. The vote coincided with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit and announcement of agreements with U.S. companies to participate in LNG projects in Lithuania.