TAP submits Environmental and Social Impact Assessment to the authorities in Greece

After almost four years of intensive pipeline route selection and refinement in Greece, TAP has submitted its comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to the Ministry of Energy, Environment and Climate Change, the consortium told APA-Economics.

The objective of the ESIA is to assess and optimise the potential environmental, cultural heritage and socio-economic impacts of the proposed pipeline, and to guide the implementation of mitigating measures to avoid or minimise adverse and enhance positive impacts. It includes a detailed description of the proposed pipeline route in Greece, permanent and temporary infrastructure created during the construction phase, such as access roads and construction camps, and the operational facilities that will be in place, when construction is completed.

The ESIA has been carried out jointly by Greek and international experts in accordance with the Greek law and in compliance with the international best-standard practice as laid down by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). These standards have been unilaterally adopted by TAP with a view to optimise the potential impact of the project.

Submission of the final ESIA report is the culmination of a collaborative process with the Greek authorities that has previously seen the submission, starting from 2010, of the Scoping Report and Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIA) for the Western TAP Section in Greece, and the Scoping Report for the Eastern TAP Section in Greece. In July 2013 the Ministry for Energy, Environment and Climate Change concluded TAP's ESIA completeness review and authorized to start the official public disclosure process. Following ESIA approval, the Greek authorities will issue the Environmental Terms Approval Decision, necessary for TAP to commence the construction activities.