Baltic pipeline under fire despite industry assurances 

A large majority of MEPs - 542 in favour and 60 against - on 8 July voted in favour of an non-legislative own-initiative report by Polish MEP Marcin Libicki. It raises objections to the planned construction of Nord Stream, a 1220 kilometre pipeline that would stretch along the Baltic seabed.

Nord Stream is one of the EU's priority energy projects, seen as part of EU efforts to secure its supply of natural gas for the coming decades (see EurActiv's LinksDossier on the geopolitics of EU energy supply). If approved, construction could begin in 2010 and be finalised by the spring of 2011. Once operational, the pipe would bring 55 billion cubic metres of Russian gas per year into Germany, from where it could be sold off to other member states. 

Gazprom, German energy giant E.ON and chemical firm BASF are backing the project along with Gasunie, a Dutch gas company.

The Libicki report acknowledges that Nord Stream is important for the EU's future energy security, but warns that the Baltic seabed is "especially vulnerable" to environmental damage caused by the laying of the large steel and concrete-reinforced pipes, which measure over 1.5 metres in diameter. There are also concerns that World War II era munitions still littering the seabed could be set off during construction.

Apart from environmental concerns, Poland and the Baltic States have also raised objections about being bypassed by the project. Re-routing the scheme over land would have brought transit fees to the countries concerned. 

In backing the Libicki report, Parliament is asking the Commission to conduct a separate assessment of the project on the grounds that it lacks "institutional structures capable of responding adequately to the environmental and geopolitical security issues associated with this project". But the Commission has already indicated that carrying out such assessments is not the job of the EU. 

"Let me be very clear on this point. The Commission cannot participate actively in such a specific assessment," EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in January. Such assessments are currently being carried out by individual countries under the so-called ESPOO Convention, which governs the assessment of transboundary environmental projects. 

The Nord Stream consortium also scoffs at the idea of a further impact assessment. Maartje van Putten, a former Dutch MEP who now represents the consortium in Brussels, says Nordstream is taking care of "every detail" with respect to ensuring the safety of the project, and is investing around €100 million in impact assessments.

Ramboll, a Danish consultancy that is conducting a private impact assessment for Nord Stream, is expected to release its findings in October.