BRUSSELS, Jan 14 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned on Wednesday the European Union (EU) would sue Russian and Ukrainian gas companies if they fail to restore gas supplies to Europe.

    If Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz do not honor their commitments under the three-way agreement to restart pumping gas to Europe, he would advise the bloc's affected energy firms to take legal action against them, Barroso told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

Russian gas monopoly Gazprom's employees seen in Gazprom's main control room in Moscow January 13, 2009.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    "The current situation is, in short, both unacceptable and incredible," Barroso said.

    "Unacceptable as EU consumers in some member states are still without gas after a week without supplies. Incredible because we remain in this situation, the day after an important agreement was signed at senior level, with assurances from Russian and Ukrainian leaders that they would implement the agreement, and let the gas flow.

    "I would like to convey a very clear message to Moscow and Kiev: If the agreement sponsored by the European Union is not honored as a mater of urgency, I will advise European companies to take this matter to the courts and call on member states to engage in a concerted action to find alternative ways of energy supply and transit," Barroso said.

An employee walks at Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom's Sudzha pumping station January 13, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    He added: "So we will see very soon whether this is a technical hitch or whether there is no political intention to honor the agreement."

    Fierce bickering between Ukraine and Russia broke out on Jan. 1over unpaid gas bills. More than a dozen European countries are suffering from gas shortages in freezing winter as Russia cut off gas to Europe via Ukraine on Jan. 7.

    Russia reopened taps to Europe on Tuesday morning under the three-way agreement signed by the EU, Ukraine and Russia, but the volume of gas was "very little."

    Russia accused Ukraine of blocking transit of the gas, and the EU also admitted that Ukraine had held up the flow to Europe.

    The parties are now in a fresh row over so-called "technical gas," which Ukraine said is needed to maintain pipeline pressure and keep supplies flowing.

    Kiev insists that the "technical gas" in the Ukrainian pipelines should be used free of charge, while Russia rejects the claim.

    The dispute has affected tens of thousands of Europeans. Russia supplies about a quarter of natural gas consumed in the EU, with about 80 percent of it shipped via Ukraine.

PM: Ukraine ready to supply gas to Europe

A worker walks at a measuring station of the Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine pipelines, in Uzhgorod, western Ukraine, Jan. 12, 2008. (Xinhua/Ukrinform/Sergei Gudak) Photo Gallery>>>

    KIEV, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine is ready to send natural gas to Europe immediately if it receives deliveries from Russia, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Wednesday.

    "If the gas is supplied today, it will be immediately pumped to European countries," Tymoshenko said at a meeting with her Slovak counterpart Robert Fico, who is in Kiev for talks on resuming gas supplies to Europe. Full story

Europe faces lack of gas amid new Russian, Ukrainian spat

    BRUSSELS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia restarted pumping gas into Ukraine's southern pipeline early on Tuesday, but Europe said it hasn't seen any significant rise in gas flow.

    European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso spoke by phone to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, expressing disappointment over the lack of natural gas flowing to Europe. Full story

Ukraine says Russian choice of gas route technically "unacceptable"

    KIEV, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia is trying hard to discredit Ukraine by sending natural gas bound for Europe on a technically "unacceptable" transit route over Ukraine's pipeline system, Ukrainian energy adviser Bohdan Sokolovski said on Tuesday.

    "Russia shipped natural gas along a route that would require Ukraine to cut domestic consumers out before it can deliver gas to the Balkans," Sokolovski told reporters. Full story

Slovak, Bulgarian PMs to visit Moscow on gas issue, says Putin

    MOSCOW, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Slovak and Bulgarian prime ministers will visit Moscow on Wednesday to discuss issues surrounding gas supplies to Europe, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

    "I have just spoken to the prime ministers of Bulgaria and Slovakia, and we came to an agreement that tomorrow we are meeting in Moscow in order to look at the current situation," Interfax quoted Putin as saying.  Full story

PM: Ukraine to use Russia gas as "technical gas"

    KIEV, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Monday that it was up to Russia to provide "technical gas" needed to maintain pipeline pressure and keep supplies flowing in additional to the amounts actually due for delivery to customers in the European Union.

    "Ukraine cannot unfortunately supply the gas to the European Union" without an additional 21 million cubic meters of "technical gas" per day from Russia, Tymoshenko told reporters during a visit to Yevpatoriya in southern Ukraine, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. Full story

Roundup: Russia to resume gas supplies to Europe

    BRUSSELS, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia will restore gas supply to Europe Tuesday after an interruption of nearly a week, the European Union (EU) said Monday.

    Russia had promised to start pumping natural gas again to the 27-nation bloc via Ukraine after a deal on a monitoring mission was finally agreed upon, said Czech Industry and Trade Minister Martin Riman, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency. Full story

Medvedev: Russia not to resume gas supply to EU till deal revised

    MOSCOW, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia will not apply a protocol on gas transit to its clients in the European Union until Ukraine retrieves its additional conditions in the contract, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday.

    "Such reservations and additions are nothing but mockery of common sense and violation of earlier agreements. In fact, they aim to thwart gas transit control," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Medvedev as saying during a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Full story