Natural Gas Exports Legal Regulation under the Foreign Legislation

Abstract

The study of legal regulation of natural gas export relations in foreign countries and the factors influencing the formation of a particular system of legal regulation of such relations, identification of common approaches and differences in different legal systems constitute an urgent task of energy law. In order to study the different approaches to the regulation of natural gas export, this article examines the legal regulation systems that have been developed in the leading countries exporting this energy resource, such as Norway and the USA, as well as in the countries where the technological and legal framework for natural gas export is being formed, with Argentina as an example. The results of the study show that natural gas export in all the countries considered is subject to the appropriate permit issued by an authorized state body. The formation of the system of legal regulation of natural gas export is influenced by many economic and legal factors, the most important of which are: level of demand for natural gas in domestic market of an exporting country; existence of international treaties with importers that provide grounds for exemption from customs duties and unhindered export of natural gas; availability of sufficient explored natural gas reserves and technologies of natural gas extraction in an exporting country. The features of natural gas export regulation in foreign legal systems reviewed in this article can be considered when improving natural gas export regulation in the Russian Federation.