03-08-06 Gazprom will be selling gas to Europe at the price of over $ 300/1,000 cm in late this year, i.e. $ 50 above the average European price calculated on border of Poland and Germany. Of all European states, Romania was the first to complain.
By late this year, Romania will be paying over $ 300/1,000 cm for gas imported from Russia (today’s price is $ 285), Codrut Seres, minister of economy and commerce of Romania said. Seres said the price could be $ 305 or $ 310.

It is not just a high-ranked official of a European state specified the price deemed a trade secret. It is that Seres forecasted the time when the ceiling of $ 300 will be ultimately hit.
Nevertheless, Romania has certain advantage over the neighbours, as the local production meets 60 % of the country's consumption. But other states of Eastern and Central Europe are less lucky. Bulgaria, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary depend on Russia’s gas in part and in whole. And hiking the border prices to $ 300 will drive up the priceson their markets.

The situation will be even tougher for CIS. Unlike Western Europe, where gas accounts for 25 % to 30 % of the fuel and energy balance, or Eastern Europe, where gas covers 30 % to 40 % of it, CIS has from 50 % to 70 % on average.
Moreover, Ukraine and Belarus have almost completely shifted their power grids to gas in the recent years and the reference price of $ 300/1,000 cm is bound to threaten competitiveness of their goods.