The Lazio regional administrative
court (TAR) on Thursday rejected an appeal by the Puglia region
against a government order to uproot and replant olive trees for
the construction of the TransAdriatic Pipeline (TAP).
On April 6 the Lazio TAR suspended an environment ministry
permit for the removal of olive trees in the area of the work
site for the TAP pipeline in Melendugno, Puglia, pending today's
hearing on the appeal against the permit.
On April 10 Industry Minister Carlo Calenda ruled out a
change of location for the TAP project in Puglia following big
protests over the removal of olive trees.
"Changing now would mean saying that we won't do it, but it
is fundamentally important that we do," Calenda told reporters
in Rome.
"Fourteen different alternatives were discussed for the
arrival site. The infrastructure is in the implementation phase
and the debate lasted a very long time".
The TAP is set to bring Caspian gas from Azerbaijan to
Europe.
Under the plan, the olive trees will later be replanted
in the same place.
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