MOSCOW, Feb. 1 - Gazprom has reduced pumping of gas via the Nord Stream pipeline and its eastern branch OPAL as of February 1 due to a court injunction imposed in a lawsuit by the Russian gas giant's Polish opponents, data from European gas transport operators show.

Gazprom managed to reach an agreement with the European Commission on the maximum use of OPAL capacity, but Poland protested that this would reduce the use of Polish transit pipelines, although the Yamal-Europe pipeline that runs through Poland is actually being steadily utilized at full capacity. PGNiG Supply & Trading GmbH filed lawsuits in European court and a court in Dusseldorf. Gazprom Export filed a motion in the European court to participate in the case as an interested party.