Baltic States – CIS, Energy, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Gas, Legislation

According to head of the Estonian delegation and PACE vice president Marianne Mikko, the discussion highlighted that the construction of the pipes in the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany will bring along a number of dangers, spokespeople for the Estonian parliament said. "Environmental risks have arisen already before the completion of the utility line," Mikko said. She added that the gas pipeline will also bring along political and economic dangers.

"Due to Nord Stream 2, Europe will become too dependent of the bilateral relations between Russia and Germany. Russia can use the gas pipeline according to political need, that is turn off the gas taps. The concern is amplified by the circumstance that Russia has already used this possibility to exert political and economic pressure," Mikko said.

Member of the delegation, Tiit Terik, said that the possible dangers of installing new gas pipelines at the bottom of the Baltic Sea must be thoroughly thought through and security dangers must also be considered alongside factors endangering the environment. "As the pipeline will run very close to us along the bottom of the sea, it is also a security risk for us -- theoretically, under the pretext of protecting the pipeline, our waters could be entered with equipment that is not at all in the interest of the security of Estonia," Terik said in a press release.

It was also highlighted during the discussion that the planned gas pipeline will go through the Kurgalski ecological reserve and its establishment may cause the extinction of rare species. Speaking of environmental dangers, it was also noted that the repairing of the gas pipelines located at the bottom of the sea could take significantly more time than that of pipelines located aboveground. Attention was also brought to the fact that the availability of gas in the Russian section has decreased as export grows and the price of gas has increased.

The event was also attended by environmental activist Jevgenia Tsirikova, founder and president of the organization Free Russia Foundation (FRF) Natalia Arno and director of the consultation company East European Gas Analysis Mihhail Kortsemkin.

Topics discussed at the PACE session to be held this week include the protection of minority languages, basic citizenship income and the humanitarian consequences of the Ukrainian war, Turkey's military interference in Syria, the role of the Council of Europe in the Israel-Palestine peace process and the report on Estonia.

Italian Michele Nicoletti on Monday was elected as the new president of PACE. Vice presidents were also elected and Marianne Mikko will continue as one vice president. Mikko was also elected the first deputy chairman of the Monitoring Committee.

The Estonian delegation includes Mikko, Terik, Raivo Aeg, Andres Herkel, Eerik-Niiles Kross and Jaak Madison.