Poland faces tough decisions following Swedish and Finnish approval for the project.         

Report by Slawek Szefs 

The planned gas pipeline to link Russian providers with their German clients has evoked considerable controversy in Poland from its very inception. By circumnavigating Poland through Scandinavian waters of the Baltic, it would serve as a convenient tool for Russia to keep Poland in check with regard to natural gas deliveries without disturbing them with its Western European partners, primarily Germany.

Poland has repeatedly brought up the issue on the EU forum as potentially jeopardizing its energy security. It also questioned the Nord Stream project on grounds of posing a threat to the Baltic Sea environment. These fears had been continuously shared by its Scandinavian partners... till last Thursday.