Legal framework of international pipelines with third countries in Spain, after the amendment made by Directive no 692/2019, of 17th april 2019, and its implementation by means of Royal Decree-Law nº 34/2020, of the 17th november 2020

Abstract

 Within the rules aimed at creating an internal market for natural gas in the European Union, import gas pipelines from third countries were excluded from the scope of application. Political controversies generated by the construction of the direct gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, through the Baltic Sea (Nord Stream 2) led in 2019 to the modification of the Directive on the internal market for natural gas of 2009. After the amendment, but without extraterritorial results in the effectiveness of the legal norm, the Directive applies to gas pipelines from third countries. This modification affects two gas pipelines in Spain from Algeria, for which, in accordance with the European reform, exceptions have already been established.