The South Stream diversifies only the route, but not the source of natural gas  and this is a negative priority for EU, European Commissioner Neven Mimica told BNT. 

The Consumer Protection Commissioner, who is on an official visit to Sofia, said that from the very beginning the South Stream project was never an EU priority. “If you consider this project from the common energy policy of the EU perspective, I think that it clearly does not enter in the main directions of the strategic direction of the EU energy policy, which aims for diversification of sources of gas and petrol,” Mimica said. 

Mimica pointed out that it was too early to talk about sanctions and there are lots of work on presenting the EC stand on the project to all member states in this project.