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Route-Installation of Burgas-Alexandroupolis Oil Pipeline and Relevant Issues

16 Jul 2010 | Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change of the Greek Republic | TOPIC: Briefing to the Parliamentary Committee of Production and Commerce from the Deputy Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, G. Maniatis, regarding the bill entitled “Route-installation of Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline and relevant issues”.

“The construction of the Burgas - Alexandroupolis project constitutes a top priority of the foreign energy policy of the Government” stressed the Deputy Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Giannis Maniatis, during the briefing he conducted on Thursday the 15th of July, for the members of the Parliamentary Committee on Production and Commerce, regarding the bill entitled “Route-installation of Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline and relevant issues”, that has been submitted for voting.

The Deputy Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change explained:

This specific oil pipeline will constitute a new transport channel, complementary to the Bosporus Strait.

It will contribute significantly to the decongestion of the Straits, minimizing the possibility of a marine accident and enhancing environmental security in the region.

The project is particularly important for the efficient operation and the safe oil supply of large energy markets.

It will contribute to the further development of the prefecture of Evros and generally, of Thrace. It will attract investments, create more than five hundred job openings, while during the operational phase of the project, approximately two hundred and fifty extra jobs will be generated.

The annual transit revenues our country will accrue create reserve resources for the implementation of infrastructure projects and development.

The goal is to implement a large-scale energy project, which will constitute an international standard for environmental responsibility.

Good cooperation with the local community on issues regarding the region and mainly the protection of the environment is a top priority.

In fact, Mr. Maniatis clarified that a specific time period was required in order to achieve a closer cooperation and consultation with the MPs and the Prefecture Committee of Evros, which led to the necessary amendments of the original text.

Meanwhile, he reiterated that specific diplomatic initiatives towards the Bulgarian side will be directly made, culminating with the visit to Sofia by a Government representative body led by PM Mr. G. A. Papandreou.

The bill characterizes the project as of national importance, public benefit and general public interest. The special legal framework it establishes follows the example of the bill regarding the National Gas Transmission System (NGTS).

The bill aims at determining the status of ownership restrictions that need to be imposed upon owners, distributors or owners of properties through which the pipeline will pass. The cost for all forms of compensation that are provided will be borne by the International company Trans-Balkan Pipeline B.V. that will build the project.

The route and the installation of the pipeline and its infrastructure will be determined by decisions made by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, upon completion of licenses and installation act and permit. The company is given the ability to use local or community lands that are necessary for the construction of the pipeline, for which it is obliged to provide compensation. By a joint decision of the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, the assignment of rights to use parts of foreshore, beach and sea and port bottoms is enabled in order to install, operate and maintain the pipeline upon submission of appropriate compensation and on the condition that approved environmental terms are implemented.