Gazprom attacks EU stance on competition in European energy market

Russian gas giant Gazprom criticized the European Commission's moves to spur competition in the European energy market through short-term contracts, and said Brussels' criticism of long-term gas supply agreements is “irresponsible”.
By urging less reliance on long-term contracts, which dominate the gas market, the European Commission “threatens energy security in Europe”, Gazprom vice-president Alexander Medvedev told.

Medvedev said that “if long-term contracts are called into question, we risk losing the basis necessary for long-term investments in this market”, even if Gazprom is well capable of entering into all kinds of short-term contracts.
Medvedev also described as absurd the Commission's proposal -- not yet validated by the 27 EU members -- to impose a separation between energy producers and the managers of energy grid systems