Russia will submit an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the Nord Stream project to the Baltic states by March 1, head of the Russian Natural Resources and Ecology Ministry's environmental protection department Rinat Gizatulin was cited in a ministerial press release as saying during a meeting of the EIA working group.
The group's members concluded that the EIA was in line with the U.N. Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context. Thanks to its consistent position, Gizatulin stated, the ministry managed to complete the process of forming a single opinion in regards to the gas pipeline's construction, which took many years and involved not only official talks, but also expert consultations. A total of 16 similar meetings have been held, the official added.