Verzoekschriften commissie: Onderzoek milieurisico's 'Nord Stream' pijplijnproject (en)

The planned Nord Stream pipeline under the Baltic Sea is just one of many infrastructure projects needed to meet the EU's growing demand for natural gas. Its likely environmental impact should be carefully investigated, and possible alternative overland routes should be assessed first, says an own-initiative report adopted by the Petitions Committee on Tuesday. MEPs also want the EU to play a bigger role in supervising the project.

As one of the infrastructure projects selected under the EU Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E) initiative, the Nord Stream submarine pipeline, which would link up Germany and Russia directly, is "a project of European interest that would help to meet the EU's future energy needs", says the report by Petitions Committee Chair Marcin Libicki (UEN, PL).

However, should there be a proven risk of an environmental disaster in the Baltic Sea, MEPs call on Council, Commission and Member States "to use every legal means at their disposal to prevent the construction of the North European gas pipeline", on the scale proposed.

The own-initiative report responds to two petitions by Polish and Lithuanian environmental associations who fear that the planned pipeline could harm marine eco-systems along the Polish and Lithuanian coastline.

Dumped munitions might pose thread to both environment and human health

MEPs warn that this, the world's longest and shallowest dual sub-sea gas pipeline, would be "especially vulnerable to potential damage". They stress that "dozens of months of work in an area of up to 2,400 km², requiring the use of a large number of vessels and other equipment, represents a serious threat to biodiversity and to the number of habitats", and that Nord Stream AG should be obliged to pay compensation for any environmental damage.

Disturbing munitions dumped on the Baltic seabed after World War II could pose a threat to the Baltic marine environment, and to human life and health, says the Committee. Toxic substances such as mustard gas, sulphur yperite, nitrogen yperite, lewisite, Clark I, Clark II and adamsite are all present in about 80,000 tonnes of munitions that are now very heavily corroded and cannot always be located, adds the report.

Independent impact assessment

The committee calls for a "truly independent environmental impact assessment to be commissioned with the approval of all littoral states". An environmental impact assessment commissioned by Nord Stream AG is still under way and will be submitted for approval to Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, as the "parties of origin" set in the Espoo Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context. The Petitions Committee urges the company to make the research data available to all coastal states. 

Analyse alternative routes

MEPs also underline that the Espoo Convention requires an analysis of alternatives and in this case of overland routes. Given the serious environmental risks, alternative routes which do not disturb the marine environment should be analyzed first, as "it is possible to run such routes to the Russian border overland, solely through European Union Member States". 

Meet growing natural gas demand

As the EU depends on a limited number of energy sources, suppliers and transport routes, "it is essential to support initiatives aimed at their diversification, both geographically and by developing sustainable alternatives", says the report, which notes that the Nord Stream pipeline will be only one of a large number of infrastructure projects, such as pipelines and liquid natural gas facilities, needed to meet growing demand for natural gas.

In fact, there are already plans to build many energy infrastructure projects in the Baltic Sea, such as wind farms, the Scanled Baltic Pipe, a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, power cables between Sweden and Lithuania, and liquified natural gas terminals in ?winouj?cje), notes the report.

Gazprom and gas market access

MEPs also call on the Commission to prevent Gazprom, which is the majority shareholder of Nord Stream AG, from "assuming a dominant role on the EU gas markets without guaranteeing reciprocal rights for EU companies to enter the Russian energy market".

Involve the EU

MEPs regret "the marginal role played by the EU in this project", commenting that "greater EU involvement would reduce the uncertainty felt by many Member States about the Nord Stream project". They are against the "project being implemented on the proposed scale without the consent of all the littoral states first being obtained". 

Finally, to address the environmental and geopolitical security aspects of such projects, the Commission should create "an appropriate post" under the authority of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Commission Vice-President, says the report.

The report was adopted by 26 votes in favour, 3 against and one abstention. -- Procedure: own-initiative -- Rapporteur: Marcin Libicki (UEN, PL) -- Plenary vote: July 2008

26/05/2008

Committee on Petitions

In the chair : Michael Cashman (PES, UK)