ESSEN, Germany, March 20 (Reuters) - A potential restart

of the partly damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines must be decided

by policy-makers, the CEO of Germany's largest utility said,

cautioning that Europe's top economy should never again make

itself dependent regarding energy.

"In the end it's a political decision," RWE Markus

Krebber said at the group's annual press conference, adding any

economic discussion around the use of Russian gas could only

take place after the Ukraine war has ended.