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EU gives no comment on Denmark’s intentiion to legally block Nord Stream-2

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is expected to start operating at the end by 2019

© EPA/JENS BUETTNER

BRUSSELS, April 11. /TASS/. The European Commission (EC) refused to comment on the intention of the government of Denmark to change the national legislation in order to have an opportunity to block laying of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline through its territorial waters.

"No comment from the Commission on the Danish plan," EC representative Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told TASS on Tuesday.

Denmark’s minister for climate, energy and public utilities Lars Christian Lilleholt told the Financial Times earlier that Denmark wants to have a legislative possibility of blocking the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Danish laws currently address environmental impact of such projects only and construction of a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany can hardly be blocked in such case, the Financial Times said. The government of Denmark has not yet decided whether new legislation is directly applicable to this project, Lilleholt said.

Denmark’s energy agency received earlier a request from Nord Stream 2 AG to give a permit for starting Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline laying across Danish territorial waters.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is expected to come into service at the end of 2019. The pipeline is set to run from the Russian coast along the Baltic Sea bed to the German shore. Each of the pipeline’s two stretches will have a capacity of 27.5 bln cubic meters. The new pipeline will double the capacity of the first stretch and will basically follow its route. Capital expenditures on the project are estimated at 8 bln euro and its total cost will amount to 9.9 bln euro, taking into account project financing.

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