FOI-R--3990--SE_reducerad

FOI-R--3990--SE
The implementation of the TEP could make the Baltic gas market more resistant
to possible Russian political pressure and discriminatory pricing policies.
However, in contrast to their Lithuanian colleagues, Latvian politicians have
been hesitant about implementing the TEP and argued that Latvia needs
alternative gas supplies in place before it can deal with the infrastructure
monopoly. The opinions of politicians go hand in hand with the call by Latvijas
Gaze to postpone the resolution of the issue until there are realistic alternative
gas supplies from other countries. Such an alternative to Russian gas could arise
only after the opening of the Lithuanian-Polish gas pipeline or the construction of
a liquefied natural gas terminal, about which the Baltic states and Finland
currently cannot agree.
The issue of gas market liberalization should, according to EU rules, be resolved
by the government. Nonetheless, on 27 February 2013, the Economic,
Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee of the Saeima
decided to move amendments to the Energy Law. The amendments proposed
postponing gas market liberalization until the creation of efficient
interconnections with third countries in addition to Estonia, Lithuania and
Finland. From the discussions surrounding this decision, it was evident that not
only traditional Russian supporters such as Harmony Centre, but also the prime
minister’s party, Unity, favoured a slower pace for market liberalization.
In the media, some argued that Harmony Centre might have struck an agreement
with Unity, offering not to push for a referendum on the adoption of the euro.
Janis Urbanovics of Harmony Centre denied that there was any kind of
agreement between HC and Unity, claiming that the proposal for the suspension
of gas market liberalization had no linkage with lifting Harmony Centre’s calls
for a referendum on euro adoption. The web portal Pietiek.com wrote that several
sources unofficially confirmed that the LG shareholder and gas supplier
Gazprom had made certain offers in different formats. Gazprom was said to have
offered Latvia a 20 per cent discount on gas supplies in exchange for assurances
that Latvia would postpone gas market liberalization beyond 2014. 347 The media
associated the ruling party’s stance on gas market liberalization issues with
Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis meeting with Russian Prime Minister
Dmitry Medvedev in April 2013. Dombrovskis, however, explained that until
Latvia has alternative gas suppliers, the liberalization would exist “on paper”
347
See Margevica A. (2013): “Agreement with Gazprom and Dombrovskis-Medvedev meeting”,
Pietiek.com,
http://www.pietiek.com/raksti/no_vienosanas_ar__gazprom__atkariga_gan_gazes_cena,_gan_dombr
ovska_un_medvedeva_iespejama_tiksanas.
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