On 12 September, Italy’s Minister of
Environment Gianluca Galletti signed the Decree of environmental compatibility
of the project submitted by Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) for the Italian
section of the pipeline, concluding another major milestone for the project,
TAP said.
The final EIA report is in full
accordance with both Italian and EU legislation and follows the international
requirements of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and
the International Finance Corporation (IFC), TAP said in a press release.
Also on September 12,
Greece
’s Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister
Yiannis Maniatis approved the environmental conditions (Environmental and Social
Impact Assessment - ESIA) for the construction of TAP in
Greece
, the Greek government said at its website.
The decision concerns the Greek section
of the pipeline - 543 kilometres from Kipoi of Evros to the Greek-Albanian
border in the area of Ieropigis in
Northern Kastoria
.
Regarding
Italy
’s approval of the EIA, TAP said in the press release
that it comes after extensive engagement with all those involved including
regular discussion with local communities, public consultation and close
cooperation with those national and regional authorities involved in the
process. “TAP is committed to responsibly deliver a world-class project in
Italy
and will continue to work closely and collaboratively
with all those involved,” the consortium said.
TAP will transport natural gas from the
giant Shah Deniz II field in
Azerbaijan
to
Europe
. The
approximately 870 kilometre long pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian
Pipeline (TANAP) near the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross
Greece
and
Albania
and the
Adriatic Sea
, before
coming ashore in
Southern
Italy
.
(by Kostis Geropoulos,
neurope.eu
,
12 Sept., 2014
)