The Baltic Sea strategy promoted by the Swedish presidency is very welcome. It could readily assume a model function for other European macro-regions, like the Danube basin.

 

There is, however, one aspect of the development of the Baltic Sea region that demands urgent reconsideration. This is the North Stream sea-bed pipeline between Russia and Germany. Not only is the pipeline the source of serious environmental concern, but - even more urgently - it is a project that has been overtaken by time. The future is not in fixed means of delivering natural gas - via pipelines - but through liquefied natural gas.

 

North Stream has every likelihood of being a wholly unnecessary white elephant and its protagonists should reconsider the project, before more money, more resources, effort and energy are tied up in it.