EU warns of legal action over gas

The European Commission has warned Russian and Ukrainian gas companies of legal action over a dispute which has left many Europeans without heat. Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said he would advise EU energy companies to sue unless Gazprom and Naftogaz move fast to restore supplies. EU warns of legal action over gas Diplomatic pressure is growing, with Bulgarian, Slovak and Moldovan PMs holding talks in Moscow and Kiev. Supplies remain cut off because of a payment row between Russia and Ukraine. 'Matter of urgency' Barroso told the European Parliament the dispute between Ukraine and Russia was "most unacceptable and incredible". He said if agreements, sponsored by the European Union, are not observed "as a matter of urgency", he would advise energy companies that have deals with Gazprom and Naftogaz, to file lawsuits against them. "If the agreement is not honored, it means that Russia and Ukraine can no longer be regarded as reliable," he said. MEPs are due to debate the situation later on Wednesday. Moscow says gas is flowing from Russia to Ukraine for export, but Kiev says it is technically unable to pass it on to its neighbors. Despite optimism on Tuesday that the dispute was nearing an end, there is increasingly antagonistic rhetoric from both sides Eighteen other European countries have been affected by the gas supply row. Hundreds of thousands of people are still without heating in eastern and south-eastern Europe after Moscow stopped supplies routed through Ukraine last week. Bulgaria has had to close schools and other public buildings, due to the cuts. In Kiev, Slovakia's prime minister told his Ukrainian counterpart Yuliya Tymoshenko his country had 11 days of gas reserves left. Robert Fico said: "After 12 days, we will be obliged to resort to measures never seen in our history. " Technical arguments An agreement, brokered late on Monday by the Czech prime minister, to allow international experts to monitor the flow of gas through Ukraine, was designed to overcome the deep feeling of mistrust between the two former Soviet neighbors. Russian switched on the gas supply to Ukraine at the Sudzha pumping station on Tuesday morning in what Moscow officials described as a test delivery. But Ukraine said it could not physically pump the gas to Europe in the volumes Russia was currently providing, or along the pipeline route Moscow wanted it to take. Russian energy giant Gazprom dismissed that claim. The arguments are hugely technical, but the fact is they cannot both be right, says the BBC in Kiev.

EU warns of legal action over gas

Diplomatic pressure is growing, with Bulgarian, Slovak and Moldovan PMs holding talks in Moscow and Kiev.

Supplies remain cut off because of a payment row between Russia and Ukraine.

'Matter of urgency'

Barroso told the European Parliament the dispute between Ukraine and Russia was "most unacceptable and incredible".

He said if agreements, sponsored by the European Union, are not observed "as a matter of urgency", he would advise energy companies that have deals with Gazprom and Naftogaz, to file lawsuits against them.

"If the agreement is not honored, it means that Russia and Ukraine can no longer be regarded as reliable," he said.

MEPs are due to debate the situation later on Wednesday.

Moscow says gas is flowing from Russia to Ukraine for export, but Kiev says it is technically unable to pass it on to its neighbors.

Despite optimism on Tuesday that the dispute was nearing an end, there is increasingly antagonistic rhetoric from both sides

Eighteen other European countries have been affected by the gas supply row.

Hundreds of thousands of people are still without heating in eastern and south-eastern Europe after Moscow stopped supplies routed through Ukraine last week.

Bulgaria has had to close schools and other public buildings, due to the cuts.

In Kiev, Slovakia's prime minister told his Ukrainian counterpart Yuliya Tymoshenko his country had 11 days of gas reserves left.

Robert Fico said: "After 12 days, we will be obliged to resort to measures never seen in our history. "

Technical arguments

An agreement, brokered late on Monday by the Czech prime minister, to allow international experts to monitor the flow of gas through Ukraine, was designed to overcome the deep feeling of mistrust between the two former Soviet neighbors.

Russian switched on the gas supply to Ukraine at the Sudzha pumping station on Tuesday morning in what Moscow officials described as a test delivery.

But Ukraine said it could not physically pump the gas to Europe in the volumes Russia was currently providing, or along the pipeline route Moscow wanted it to take.

Russian energy giant Gazprom dismissed that claim.

The arguments are hugely technical, but the fact is they cannot both be right, says the BBC in Kiev.