Naftogaz vs Gazprom: What role for the European Union?

Registration and lunch start at 12:15.

The upcoming year will prove decisive with regard to the future of the European  Union’s  gas  transit  from  Russia.   The  role  of  Ukraine, traditionally the main transit corridor for natural gas to Europe, is seriously questioned  given  the  expiry  of  the  current  transit  contracts  between Gazprom and Naftogaz on 31 December 2019. Settling the future relationship between  the two companies remains of paramount  importance  given  the  dependence  of  most  of  the  Baltic, Central and Eastern European member states on Russian gas and also due to the financial interest of Ukraine as a transit country. At the same time, Brussels remains divided on the future of Nord Stream 2 which is receiving serious criticism from a number of European countries that see the pipeline as a direct risk for the energy security in the region. What  could  be  the  possible  future  commercial  and  contractual frameworks between Gazprom and Naftogaz for gas transit post 2019? Would new gas infrastructure from Russia contribute to the lowering of gas prices for businesses and households in Europe? What role for the European Union in this dynamic?