(ANSA) - BRUSSELS - The EU member states have given the green light to financing construction of the first two-way underwater gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea Region, between Estonia and Finland. The EU-28 approved the Commission's proposal to invest 263 million euro in projects regaarding this major transnational European energy infrastructure, most of which (187.5 million) will be used for the construction of the 'Baltic connector' that, once completed, will allow Finland to no longer be forced to buy gas from one supplier. In addition, according to the intentions of Brussels, the pipeline will strengthen the security of gas supply in the eastern Baltic Sea region. As for the electricity sector, 29.9m will be used to build a new 100 km long power line in Bulgaria, while 125,010 euro will be used for the preparatory project of the power grid of a Baltic states. Nine projects were approved: 5 in the gas sector (210m) and 4 in the electric sector (53m).

Among the latter, 3 focus on construction works (236m), 6 on preparatory projects (27m).