Any operations for the second string of the Russian natural gas pipeline Nord Stream remain under scrutiny, the European Commission said Friday. European opposition to expanding the Russian natural gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea faded early this year after the European Commission found no legal grounds to block the project. Russia is one of the main suppliers of natural gas to the European economy. Russian natural gas company Gazprom said exports during the first quarter were up nearly 20 percent for the German economy, 24 percent to Poland and 14 percent for France. European governments are wary over Gazprom practices in the region, as the company usually controls both the gas supplies and the transit networks. Spats between […]