RIGA - International stakeholders are continuing to assess the potential impacts of a proposed gas pipeline connecting Russia and the European Union and passing through the Baltic Sea, before signing off on the landmark project.
This follows an intensive public consultation period involving nine Baltic Sea countries.
Project developers Nord Stream plan to construct an offshore gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea which will ultimately supply an additional 55 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas a year.
The amount is equivalent of up to 25 percent of the additional imported gas that Europe is expected to require due to increased gas demands and depleting resources in the North Sea.
Russia is home to the world's largest gas reserves and its developers say the pipeline will be vital to security of supply in the EU.
The EU's gas imports were 314 bcm in 2005 and are projected to grow by almost 200 bcm to 509 bcm per year by 2025.
The planned pipeline will pass through the waters of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland were also engaged in consultations due to the project's potential transboundary impacts
The three Baltic States, along with Finland have previously been critical of the project.
However, an environmental impact assessment prepared by the Latvian Ministry of the Environment, following the consultation period found the project would have little significant effect on Latvia.
The report, released earlier this month, comments that additional measures were still needed to mitigate the "concrete impacts" of the pipeline.
The report also called on the developers to clarify fishing and safety issues during the construction process.
As part of the multi-million project Nord Stream plans to have the first of two parallel pipelines operational by 2011.
Each line is about 1,220 kilometers long, providing a transport capacity of some 27.5 bcm per year. Full capacity of about 55 bcm per year will be reached once the second line goes operational.
As part of recent consultations the public had the opportunity to comment on both the potential national and transboundary environmental impacts of the pipeline.
This stakeholder engagement phase seeks to identify issues that need to be resolved and ensure that appropriate mitigation measures are agreed with the developer.
Nord Stream is continuing to work with relevant international authorities to resolve outstanding environmental concerns, with the view to receiving final approval for the project by the end of this year.
Construction of the 1,200 km pipeline is scheduled to start in early 2010
"Since 2006, we have been in intensive dialogue with the authorities throughout the region in order to understand and take account of their concerns," says Dirk von Ameln, Nord Stream's Permitting Director.
"The Nord Stream consortium has spent more than 100 million euros on environmental impact studies and environmental planning to ensure that the design and routing of the pipeline through the Baltic Sea will be environmentally sound and safe," he said.
In March, Nord Stream provided the Baltic Sea countries with the so-called Espoo transboundary environmental report in nine languages and English.
Nord Stream also participated in twelve public hearings in the Baltic Sea countries from March to May in which environmental issues were discussed.
In line with the requirements of the 1991 United Nations Espoo Convention, signatory countries must consult each other on all major projects under construction in their jurisdiction likely to have an adverse environmental impact across boundaries.
Nord Stream AG is an international joint venture established in 2005 for the planning, construction and operation of the new offshore gas pipeline.
Russian energy company Gazprom holds a 51 percent interest in the joint venture, with German companies BASF/Wintershall and E.ON Ruhrgas holding 20 percent each. Dutch gas infrastructure company Gasunie has a 9 percent share.
