Translated material
Nord Stream in Natura 2000
Swedish Environment Minister demands alternative routes for Baltic gas pipeline
Sweden, the biggest critic of the Nord Stream project , yesterday again expressed doubts about the need for its implementation . Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren issued a special statement: “In order for the government to be able to make a decision on the project, we need a full, high-quality report that would present the possible environmental consequences of a given construction route in comparison with the environmental consequences of other possible routes. The environmental impact assessment report of the project must contain a description of such alternative corridors in the Baltic Sea,” says its text published on the official website of the Swedish government. According to Mr. Carlgren, the information presented to him indicates that “more eastern routes have a better chance of avoiding environmental problems and risks.”For the project operator Nord Stream AG, the Swedish news came as an unpleasant surprise. “We welcome any constructive proposals aimed at the most optimal implementation of the project,” NS press secretary Irina Vasilyeva told Vremya Novostey. “We are in close dialogue with all countries affected by construction and are ready to discuss any issues that arise.”
The Nord Stream gas pipeline, which is supposed to connect Russia and Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, will pass in the jurisdiction (exclusive economic zone) of Finland, Sweden and Denmark. Thus, permission for construction must be given by the governments of these countries. All of them were sent notices of intention to build the pipeline and held consultations prior to the preparation of the project's environmental impact report (EIA). Nord Stream plans to finalize its text by December and by the end of the year (after translation into the languages of the Baltic countries) send it to governments to obtain permission.
“When an application for the construction of a gas pipeline comes to us, we will consider the project very carefully, in accordance with Swedish law and international conventions,” Mr. Karlgren said in a statement. “We will pay special attention to the impact of the gas pipeline on the sensitive environment of the Baltic Sea.” According to the Swedish side, information provided by Nord Stream shows that the chosen route for laying pipes in the Swedish economic zone in the Baltic Sea and near the island of Gotland passes through a number of “problematic and risky areas”, such as the Natura 2000 conservation area and places burial of mines and chemical weapons.
Why the Swedish government suddenly demanded a thorough analysis of alternative routes right now is unclear. As Mr. Karlgren's press secretary Thomas Uddin told Vremya Novostey, the Swedish government simply once again voiced what was previously told to the operator company. According to him, the minister made a short report on the project at yesterday’s meeting with the ministers of ecology of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, which was held in Oslo as part of the regular meeting of the Nordic Council organization (which includes Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland).