Russia, Poland gas deal 'in line with EU law'

(BRUSSELS) - A gas delivery deal between Russia and Poland is in line with European Union laws but Polish authorities will have to take further measures to ensure compliance, the EU's energy chief said Thursday.

Poland and Russia inked a deal last week on deliveries of Russian natural gas until 2022 after the European Commission raised concerns about terms of access to a pipeline that runs through EU member Poland.

"We managed to ensure that the intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Poland was brought into line with EU law," EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger said in a statement released in Brussels after he met with Polish officials in Warsaw.

"Both the Polish authorities and my services agreed that the operator agreement will have to be complemented by further implementation measures," he added.

Polish authorities will confirm in writing their commitment to complying with EU and Polish law, Oettinger said.

The first version of the agreement, struck in January between Russian energy giant Gazprom and Polish state-owned gas firm PGNiG, was contested by the EU.

Brussels wanted a guarantee that other gas operators would have access to the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe pipeline, in line with European competition regulations.