The Vertical Corridor, a gas transportation route from Greece to Ukraine, faces financial and tariff obstacles threatening its implementation

The Vertical Corridor is an EU- and US-backed initiative to transport gas from Greece through Bulgaria and Romania to Ukraine, with the aim of reducing dependence on Russian gas. Although existing infrastructure can transport 10 billion cubic meters of gas, high costs and tariffs imposed by Romania and Moldova make the project unsustainable. Discussions to expand the capacity of the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector are under way, and Bulgaria plans to increase its import capacity. The European Commission is seeking ways to speed up the project, with a 2030 deadline for Europe's energy independence.