This filing marks the first substantial move in the case since it was suspended for nearly 19 months following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Nord Stream 2 AG noted that while the two pipelines in its project became operational in 2021, one of the pipelines remains non-operational following an apparent sabotage attempt in September 2022. The pipelines stretch over 750 miles through the Baltic Sea, connecting Russia and Germany.
Majority-owned by Russian state-controlled Gazprom, Nord Stream 2 AG argued that it is the EU’s regulatory amendments, not the sanctions imposed on Russia, that threaten to drive the company into bankruptcy. Despite these challenges, the EU continues to receive Russian natural gas imports, the company pointed out.
The tribunal has been asked to rule that the regulatory amendment violates the Energy Charter Treaty, an aging trade pact signed by numerous countries within and outside the EU. In April, European lawmakers overwhelmingly agreed to withdraw from the treaty, criticizing it for overly protecting fossil fuels.
