Priority area 6, (ii) (a). Green Paper recommendations here are already partly obsolete, as Russia expressed its displeasure with the current Energy Charter, and especially the Transit Protocol. Instead, "the EU should have a policy of non-interference with purchase of domestic energy assets by foreign suppliers, combined with a rigorous implementation of the existing anti-monopoly laws". As this is a stated goal of Gazprom in particular, reciprocal steps are bound to happen. "The Commission agreement to consider energy security of producers as well as consumers, and to relax its objections to long-term contracts, should be applauded; joint efforts towards monitoring of the transit conditions in non-EU countries would serve to increase the mutual trust as well".
The point on Russia is well taken. For the moment I have simply written that Russia cannot be expected to act against its own interest. A number of things have happened since the publication of the Green Paper to show that Russia will not in fact do so.
One such event was Barroso's visit to Putin, after which Putin was so annoyed he made his Chinese overtures in Beijing.
The main thing is that the idea the EU is going to strongarm its way into Russian gas is a non-starter.
