The Vaasa Administrative Court rejected complaints by Uusimaa regional branch of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation and Estonian Fund for Nature and seven more Estonian NGOs about Nord Stream pipeline. The decision does not show a lack of risk from the pipeline, but economical benefits walked over the environment. NGOs shall study the decision by Vaasan hallnto-oikeus in peace before deciding how to go on.

"The decision doesn't show that there is no risk, but economical benefits walked over the environment", said vice chairman Pertti Sundqvist from Uusimaa regional branch of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. "There are risks, and even the court confessed them in the decision. However, the Court didn't think that they are so serious compared to economical benefits, that the decision should be changed. This happens often, meanwhile building has already started. We'll study the decision in more detail and then decide whether to go to the Finnish Supreme Administrative Court or not. "

"At this point we have NordStream in Finnish Gulf and we have to live with that", said Jüri-Ott Salm from Estonian Fund for Nature. "Environmental monitoring will show whether our concerns will become reality or not. We definitely hope not! but there are many factors which are hard to predict and even monitor. It is a shame that Estonian and Finnish authorities could not agree on additional assessments and measures regarding Nord Stream. Therefore we still do not have a full picture of possible hazards. As we know, risks of oil spills due to blowouts in Mexican Bay were evaluated as zero. Unfortunately it is not zero."

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The Estonian Fund for Nature, along with the Estonian Green Movement, have sent a former complaint to the European Commission that lays out how Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany have failed to comply with EU environmental legislation when granting Nord Stream a licence to construct the EUR 8 billion Baltic Sea gas pipeline.

The Estonian NGOs allege that EU directives on environmental impact assessment (EIA) and conservation of wild birds and habitats have been violated by the member states in the preparation for construction of the 1220 kilometre long pipeline that is intended to deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea.

FURTHER INFORMATION

- Uusimaa regional branch of the Finnish Association for Nature
Conservation, vice-chair Mr. Pertti Sundqvist, email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , tel. +358 50 4328 281

- Estonian Fund for Nature, CEO Mr Jüri-Ott Salm, email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , tel. +372 52 95 933 -

Press release in Estonian:

www.elfond.ee

Original complaint:
http://www.sll.fi/uusimaa/kannanotot/uysp-vhao-itamerenkaasputki-150310

Press relase of the Court in Finnish and Swedish:
http://www.oikeus.fi/50274.htm

To find out more go to http://www.winaholiday.panparks.org

The Swedish forestry model has been claimed across Europe as an example of a sustainable way to cultivate forests; in particular through the certification system FSC. In reality though, the Swedish forestry has caused a devastating impact on forest diversity since the 1950´s when the clear cutting period started.

Today, more than 2000 forest dwelling species are endangered, vulnerable or threatened, mainly due to the modern forestry methods. Between 2007 and 2009, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) has conducted field documentation of close to 500 threatened and unprotected old-growth boreal forests with high conservation values owned by large forestry companies as well as smallholders.

"Estonian woodland key habitats" - Kaupo Kohv, Estonian Fund for Nature

How are Estonian woodland key habitats managed - what has remained and how are they protected?.pdf (PDF)  Kaupo Kohv MSc, Anneli Palo PhD