site.btaUPDATED Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria: If Bulgaria Wants to Transit Gas via TurkStream, It Must Prove It Is Not Russian

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) MP Ivaylo Mirchev said Thursday that the European Commission (EC) has a draft regulation which assumes that the natural gas flowing through TurkStream is Russian, which means that from now on, once the regulation is adopted, if Bulgaria wants to transit gas, it has to prove that it is not Russian. He said it is very difficult to prove another origin of the gas when the pipe comes from Russia and has always carried Russian gas and when the company that transports and buys the capacity is called Gazprom Export.

Mirchev added that GERB-UDF Floor Leader Boyko Borissov had again spoken about BOTAS and the controversial interests and President Rumen Radev, but did not say a word about TurkStream. "He is silent because he used to get on the helicopter and from the helicopter he showed how the pipes were being laid and how TurkStream was being built on his watch," the CC-DB MP said. He argued that with TurkStream Borissov has served Russian President Vladimir Putin's interest so that he can start the war in Ukraine. "He does not say a word about the fact that the EC clearly tells us ’Russian gas is flowing through TurkStream". This is not just energy interests, this is geopolitics," Mirchev said.

The Bulgarian extension of the pipeline runs from the country's southern border with Turkiye to its western border with Serbia. Borissov had the project built on his watch. The pipeline was put into operation in December 2020.

According to Reuters, about 19% of Europe's gas still comes from Russia, via the TurkStream pipeline and LNG shipments, down from roughly 45% before 2022.

On Tuesday, the EC proposed gradual phase-out of Russian gas and oil imports into the EU, aiming to effectively stop the import by the end of 2027. "This will end the EU's exposure to market and economic security risks due to dependency on Russian fossil fuels, and ultimately boost the Union's energy independence and competitiveness," the press release reads. EC President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Russia has repeatedly attempted to blackmail us by weaponizing its energy supplies. We have taken clear steps to turn off the tap and end the era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe for good.”

During a press conference on Wednesday, EC Spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen explained that TurkStream is exempt from the proposal as it is not prohibited to transit goods to third countries: "Bulgarian customs, in this case that you referred to, between Bulgaria and Serbia, would not stop TurkStream gas flowing to third countries. This is the reason." She stressed that while through Bulgaria the gas goes to Serbia, its final destination is an EU Member State - Hungary. The legislation applies to all Member States, including Hungary, and the country will have to comply with it.