Handelsblatt: Nord Stream 2 may start operating before official certification 
Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under certain circumstances can start working without waiting for the completion of the certification process. This conclusion was reached by the authors of an article published in the German newspaper Handelsblatt.
They recalled that in the past, similar situations, when pipelines were put into operation before they were certified, had already happened. In particular, we are talking about the German projects NEL and EGL 401.
The authors admit that in this case they will have to pay a fine, however, according to the estimates of the German Federal Network Agency (BNA), its amount is no more than one million euros.
This amount looks reasonable. Investments in the construction of Nord Stream 2 are no less than ten billion euros
Handelsblatt
The authors of the article believe that such a scenario may seem “tempting” to the operator given the high gas prices. Thanks to this, Gazprom will be able to save on payments for gas transit through Ukraine.
Nord Stream 2 certification
The construction of the gas pipeline was completed on September 10. According to the head of Gazprom, Andrey Miller, on September 6, the operator of the construction of Nord Stream 2, Nord Stream 2 AG, informed about the welding of the last pipe in the Baltic Sea. On September 8, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that supplies via Nord Stream 2 would begin on October 1.
However, this has not happened so far. Germany suspended the certification process on November 16. According to the laws of the European Union, the operator of a gas pipeline, completely or partially laid through the territory of the block, must be independent of the gas supplier. Therefore, Gazprom was offered to create a subsidiary of the Swiss operator of the Nord Stream 2 AG project, and then transfer property and rights in Germany to it.
Only after that, the regulator will be ready to resume the certification process in order to submit it to the European Commission. … The launch of the gas pipeline will only be possible at the moment when the German regulator checks the updated documentation. In this case, the project may be postponed until March-May 2022.
US sanctions Related materials00:01 – February 18, 2020 
The pipe is not on fire Why doesn't Russia care now? 15:38 – October 16, 2020 
Sanctions of discordAt the same time, according to analysts of the Bloomberg agency, the US leadership believes that Nord Stream 2 may begin work in “a couple of months”. According to the American publication, such data are contained in a report on the gas pipeline, which the administration of US President Joe Biden submitted to Congress in anticipation of the introduction of new restrictive measures.
Nevertheless, the United States continues to try to prevent the commissioning of Nord Stream 2 »Into operation. On November 23, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against Transadria and the Marlin vessel related to the construction of the gas pipeline.
The restrictive measures were introduced based on the American Protecting European Energy Security Act (PEESA) of 2019. Later, State Department Press Officer Ned Price threatened to impose further sanctions on the Russian gas pipeline.
We will continue to follow the PEESA law properly with regard to the entities involved in the pipeline construction
Ned Price Head of the US Department of State Press Service
However, even overseas opponents of the construction and commissioning of the gas pipeline – the German party” Soyuz-90 “/” green ” member of the Bundestag – recognized the inadmissibility of US sanctions against Nord Stream 2.
According to the expert of the political association on foreign policy Omid Nuripur, the parties still consider the pipeline a “mistake” of the German government, however, he stressed that the United States has nothing to do with Nord Stream 2. It is noteworthy that this is the first time that such statements on the part of the Greens have been made.