The expiry in 2016 of two Russian transit contracts along a key eastern European pipeline should have triggered the start of regional cross-border trading between Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine. However an extensive ICIS investigation found that despite EU requirements to implement third party access at the expiry of legacy contracts, the infrastructure remains blocked amid alleged Gazprom pressure. In this week’s podcast Aura Sabadus and Tom Marzec-Manser reveal the results of the investigation.