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The European Parliament has condemned the Nord Stream gas pipe line extension as a “risk to European energy security“.
The extension to the Nord Stream gas pipe line named Nord Stream 2 – connecting Russia to Germany – has been condemned by the European Parliament as a risk to “European energy security“ in a vote on a resolution calling for the project to be cancelled.
The Parliament adopted the resolution by 433 votes to 105. with 30 abstentions.
In the document. the MEPs called the gas pipeline a “a political project that poses a threat to European energy security“ because the pipeline by-passes Ukraine.
The Nord Stream pipeline runs off the coast of Finland. from Vyborg in the Russia Federation to Greifswald in Germany for a total 1.222km and is the longest such pipeline in the world.
European Parliament rapporteur Michael Gahler said that the “Ukraine is making good progress in implementing reforms in connection with the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement“.
“However. citizens are not yet enjoying a substantial improvement in their living conditions. The fight against corruption must be carried out in a more determined manner. Steering the European course is the best remedy against Russia’s destabilising actions.“
The Russian Federation reacted angrily to the accusation. in a briefing following the vote on the resolution. Russian Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Nord Stream 2 a “peaceful. advantageous. and promising“ energy project.
Nord Stream and the extension pass through Finnish territory and as such require the permisson of the Finnish Government. However Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment government counsellor Kari Klemm confirmed that the position of Finland remains the same despite the resolution. and the Finnish government will continue to permit the construction.
Its current annual capacity is 55bn m3 and the extension to the pipeline. dubbed Nord Stream 2. will see this double to 110bn m3.
The Nord Stream 2 project is a joint venture of Russia’s Gazprom with France’s Engie. Austria’s OMV AG. UK-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell. and Germany’s Uniper and Wintershall.
