New EU gas law, challenged by Nord Stream 2, is valid

BRUSSELS, July 26 (Reuters) - The European Commission defended on Friday a new European Union natural gas law, which has been challenged by the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 pipeline, saying it is in line with the bloc's agreements abroad.

"The EU now has clear rules that apply to all pipelines used to import gas into the European market," a Commission spokeswoman said. "The Commission considers that directive 2019/692 is fully compatible with the EU's international obligations," the spokeswoman said.

Nord Stream 2 said on Friday that it had asked the Court of Justice of the European Union to annul the EU gas directive amendment enforcing measures including a requirement for pipelines not be owned directly by gas suppliers and for at least 10 percent of capacity be made available to third parties. (Reporting by Robin Emmott and Daphne Psaledakis)