A spokesman for the economy ministry added it was a "substantial aspect" that the gas supplier and the operator of the pipeline must not be identical.

Representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament and of the 28 member states on Wednesday reached a provisional deal on new rules governing import gas pipelines which should lead to a new law in the coming months.

(This story was corrected to emphasise that the government spokeswoman referred to a compromise reached by the EU commission, parliament and members states, not only the member states)

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel; editing by Thomas Seythal)