EU action needed on Nord Stream delays-Wintershall

FRANKFURT, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Nord Stream, the firm planning a subsea gas pipeline from Russia to Western Europe, needs more backing from the European Union executive to meet its time schedule, shareholder Wintershall said on Tuesday.

"If you think it is a done deal you are wrong," Wintershall Chief Executive Reinier Zwitserloot told reporters in Berlin.

"If we want to see gas flow through the pipeline in first half 2011, all the necessary approvals must be obtained by mid-2009, but the EU Commission must help ensure that the project is not blocked by individual countries."

Nord Stream is majority-owned by Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM), with Wintershall parent BASF (BASF.DE) and E.ON EONG.DE owning 20 percent each, and Dutch Gasunie having 9 percent.

The operators, who aim to build the 1,200 km (746 mile) pipeline under the Baltic Sea, have recently said they will revise up the project's costs as the price of materials spirals higher.

Zwitserloot said his frustration stemmed from numerous delays by individual EU countries that should not be tolerated, given a fast-rising gas shortfall in the 27-nation bloc.

Among these, Estonia had blocked subsea exploration and Sweden had various departments considering approval of different aspects of the project, he said.

He also said that another pipeline project, Nabucco, which is aimed at bringing Caspian area gas to central Europe, was given more prominence at EU level although it would offer less gas to help Europe overcome its supply gap.

"Nord Stream can bring eventually 55 billion cubic metres of gas a year while Nabucco can only bring 8 bcm, or 30 bcm if Iranian gas can be sourced," he said.