MEPs call for full Nord Stream EIA

摘要

The planned $12 billion Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany should be given a full environmental assessment to check for a possible impact on marine ecosystems, the European Parliament said July 8. In a report adopted July 8 by a large majority, the Parliament called on the European Commission to be "more actively involved in evaluating the potential environmental impact of this gas pipeline." MEPs warned against the implementation of the project "without having first a positive environmental impact assessment," adding that the pipeline should adhere to all EU and international legislation. Nord Stream will consist of two parallelrn1,220 km, 27.5 billion cubic meters/year gas pipelines linking Russia directly to Germany, crossing economic zones controlled by Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Construction is set to begin in summer 2009, with the first line due to come on stream in 2011 and the second in 2012.