During a working visit to Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna discussed with the Executive Vice-President for Technology and Innovation, European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager maintaining a competitive environment in the European gas market.

"In response to a request from the Government, the European Commission reaffirmed its readiness to involve Ukraine in consultations on Nord Stream 2 certification. And it's not just about energy security, but also about maintaining competition in the market. The rules of the European gas market must be fully applied to the Russian gas pipeline and the operator. These rules have already proven effective in preventing the abuse of such natural monopolies. Certification of Nord Stream 2 without compliance with European standards will be a serious blow to competition in the gas market. Ukraine is ready to provide arguments for shaping the position of the European Commission," said the Deputy Prime Minister.

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager emphasized that the European Commission had taken a clear position on the risks posed by Nord Stream 2 from the outset and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining a competitive environment. The Vice-President also informed that the European Commission is investigating the situation on the European gas market.

Another important topic of conversation was Ukraine's integration into the EU Digital Single Market. The participants of the meeting positively assessed Ukraine's progress in the field of legislative adaptation.

Olha Stefanishyna informed that a new law on electronic communications would come into force on January 1, 2022, and in October this year the Verkhovna Rada had adopted in first reading a bill on the National Commission for State Regulation in the Spheres of Electronic Communications, Radio Frequency Spectrum and Provision of Postal Services. In turn, Margrethe Vestager noted that she was impressed by Ukraine's achievements in the field of digital transformation.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed the need to jointly develop a roadmap with a clear vision of further steps towards Ukraine's integration into the EU Digital Single Market.

"Digital transformation is one of the strategic priorities of the Government of Ukraine. From the beginning of regulation this area is developed in accordance with European standards. Today, in order to advance on this way, it is critical to form a common clear vision of the next steps and the mechanism of integration of digital markets of Ukraine and the EU," said Olha Stefanishyna.