The Verkhovna Rada has allowed using natural gas mined in Ukraine for fulfillment of treaty obligations on exportation of natural gas under the existing contracts in compliance with intergovernmental agreements.
Draft law No.8657 as a whole was endorsed by 274 Members of Parliament, while 226 votes enough for approval.
The parliament introduced relevant amendments to the law on principles of the functioning of the natural gas market.
The explanatory note to the bill says that the contract between the Naftohaz Ukrainy national oil and gas company and the Russia's Gazprom gas monopoly dated 19 January 2009 on purchase and sale of natural gas in 2009 and into 2019, envisages that the natural gas imported under this contract is meant for Ukrainian consumers cannot be supplied abroad.
The Ukrainian legislation envisages that natural gas produced in Ukraine must be used for needs of the Ukrainian population.
In connection with absence of other sources of gas Naftohaz Ukrainy stopped gas supplies to Poland under a contract dated 26 October 2004 between Naftohaz Ukrainy and Polskie Gоrnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo S.A. (Poland).
The parliament has fixed up, an economic entity authorised by the government and its subsidiaries are entitled to form gas resources for the population's needs, and also to sell marketable natural gas for exports in the volumes endorsed by the national gas balance for each year.
For these purposes the law corrects the term 'marketable natural gas.'
Also, the parliament allows gas producing enterprises to use the gas they extract for their own needs and process needs.
The draftsmen opine, this would optimise the gas producers' expenses, because presently they have to buy natural gas at prices set by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission as for industrial consumers.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yurii Boiko said in February 2011 Ukraine intended to renew natural gas exports to Poland.
Naftohaz Ukrainy had to stop natural gas imports to Poland because of the changes in the Ukrainian legislation.
