EU ponders (?) Russia-Ukraine gas row

European Union officials are to meet in Brussels to assess the impact of falling gas supplies as a result of the dispute between Russia and Ukraine.
Several EU countries have reported a drop in supplies after Russia cut off gas to Ukraine on New Year's Day over unpaid bills and a new price contract.
They include Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, where supplies are reported to have dropped by 30%.
Russian gas giant Gazprom accuses Kiev of stealing gas meant for EU customers.
Gazprom says it can no longer count on Ukraine as a transit route to EU countries and is seeking alternatives.
The Ukrainians say the pipeline network is not working properly after Moscow cut supplies.
The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating EU presidency, is to convene Monday's meeting of envoys in Brussels to discuss the row.
The meeting will discuss the impact on gas supplies, but the bloc is divided on how to respond to both Russia and Ukraine.
While both sides have been lobbying European states for their support, there is a marked reluctance on the part of the EU to get involved, says the BBC's Dominic Hughes in Brussels.
Therefore its response will probably be limited to an appeal for a swift end to the dispute, our correspondent adds.
Pipes across Ukraine carry about a fifth of the EU's gas needs. A similar row between Gazprom and Ukraine at the beginning of 2006 led to gas shortages in several EU countries.