REUTERS
The Finnish government issued the first permit for the use of the Finish EEZ last week.
The Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland has granted a second permit for construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines between Russia and Germany within the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The Finnish authorities have approved a detailed plan for the construction and operation of the 374-kilometer Finnish section of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the total length of which is over 1,200 kilometers, the Ukrainian media outlet Europeiska Pravda wrote on April 12, referring to the agency's statement.
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The operator of the construction, Nord Stream 2 AG, said the permitting procedure in Finland has been completed.
The national permitting procedures in the other three countries along the route – Russia, Sweden and Denmark – are proceeding as planned, the operator said.
Nord Stream 2 AG (where Russia's Gazprom owns 51% of shares) was established for the planning, construction and operation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
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Opponents of the project, including Poland, the Baltic states and Denmark, say that Nord Stream 2 will increase the EU's dependence on Gazprom, which already supplies about a third of gas to the EU.
Following the meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on April 10 in Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted for the first time that Nord Stream 2 is not only an economic project, as there are political factors to be considered.
According to the chancellor, Ukraine should not lose its significance as a gas transit country because of the Nord Stream 2 construction. Noteworthy, Nord Stream 2 AG has already received all required permits for the project.