The Trans Adriatic
Pipeline has signed a cooperation agreement with the Albanian Immovable Property
Registration Office in Tirana. The agreement enables TAP to establish, enhance
and update cadastral data (property ownership, boundaries, and usage) within
TAP’s pipeline corridor in Albania.
TAP
requires information on land ownership in the proposed pipeline corridor and
around planned pipeline compressor stations, so that TAP can start direct
negotiations on TAP`s access to land along the pipeline with rightful owners.
The correct data on legal owners will allow TAP to conduct this process in a
transparent and fair way, according to the requirements of the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
According
to the agreement, the Albanian Immovable Property Registration Office will give
TAP access to the existing cadastral data. TAP, in turn, will support
establishing, updating and enhancing this data by collecting and providing
information on property boundaries, ownership, rights and usage in areas which
the pipeline will cross. TAP will use the technical requirements elaborated by
the Albanian authorities in cooperation with the World Bank and the EBRD and
will engage closely with all stakeholders during the data gathering process.
“It
is a big achievement because it enables TAP to start land access work in
Albania. It is extremely important to have correct data on the rightful owners
and users of land, so that negotiations on easement and relevant compensation
can be organized in a transparent and legal way, and so that the concerns of all
stakeholders are fairly addressed.” – said
Albert Haak, TAP’s Country Manager
in Albania.
The
section of TAP in Albania will be approximately 200 kilometres in length. It
will extend from the Albanian-Greek border in the east to Fier in the west. The
pipeline will cross 143 cadastral zones in Albania.
“TAP
has also initiated a similar cooperation with the Cadastre authorities in Greece
in order to have access to all the land needed for the project before
construction begins.” – added
Dr. Kai Schmidt-Soltau, TAP's Senior
Advisor for Land Access and Corporate Social
Responsibility.
TAP
remains fully on schedule and aligned with the development of the second stage
of Shah Deniz natural gas field in Azerbaijan, which is planned to come on
stream at the end of 2017.