The Ministry of Economy and Energy of Bulgaria has decided to suspend the development of Gazprom-led South Stream gas pipeline until it conforms to European Union regulations. Construction works that started in October 2013 in Bulgaria were stopped in June 2014, after the European Commission claimed that Bulgaria may have broken public procurement laws by selecting local and Russian bidders and rules preventing gas suppliers from controlling access to supply networks. The government has now decided to suspend any competitive bidding procedures and the signing of any contract until the EU approval.
First gas deliveries from the 63 bcm/year gas pipeline linking Russia to Austria and Italy and crossing Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia are expected in 2016. The pipeline project is scheduled to be fully operational in 2018.
Source: South Stream