BRUSSELS, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The European Union called on Friday for an immediate resumption of full deliveries of Russian gas to EU member states, saying supply and transit commitments had to be honoured under all circumstances.
"Energy relations between the EU and its neighbours should be based on reliability and predictability," the Czech presidency of the 27-nation bloc said in a statement, following disruptions in supply of gas to several member states.
"Existing commitments to supply and transit have to be honoured under all circumstances. The European Union calls for an urgent solution to the commercial dispute on gas supplies from the Russian Federation to Ukraine, and for an immediate resumption of full deliveries of gas to the EU member states."
Pipeline flow of gas from Russia to European states was reduced on Friday and Moscow accused Kiev of stealing transit gas, a day after deliveries to Ukraine were cut in a contract dispute.
The EU said in the statement it regretted "the fact that assurances of the reliability of energy supply have not been met" and that it would monitor the situation closely.
The European Commission said in a separate statement it had been informed by Hungary and Poland about irregularities in gas received through the Ukrainian gas pipelines.
Hungary suffered a reduction of 10 million cubic metres out of a contracted volume of 42 million cubic metres, the Commission said, while Poland declared that gas deliveries from Ukraine were around 6 percent less than the volumes contracted.
However, volumes coming from Russia to Poland through Belarus had been increased, the Commission said.
"I will be in contact with all the parties involved to identify the causes of the irregularities and ask for the immediate resumption of full deliveries of gas," Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said in the statement.
The EU executive arm said it was analysing the reasons for the reductions in volumes, how they were to be compensated and what measures taken to ensure the supply of the end customers.
"First information received from the gas companies of these countries indicates that at this point in time there is no immediate danger for the supplies of European citizens," the statement said. (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; editing by Andrew Roche)