Brussels, 09/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - Although confident that the Nord Stream gas pipeline project to link Russia up with Germany under the Baltic Sea will be operational in the next few years, EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has expressed doubt about the outcome of the plan to build a gas pipeline from Russia to Italy via the Black Sa and Bulgaria, a plan known as South Stream. 'About South Stream, it is in very early stages and today I wouldn't bank any money on this pipeline being built, but the process is moving slowly,' said Piebalgs, speaking on the fringes of an energy conference in Riga. He remained non-committal about the success of South Stream, which is competing with Nabucco (a project supported by the European Commission): 'South Stream is definitely much later than Nord Stream.' Piebalgs sees Nord Stream coming on stream in the not too distant future (see EUROPE 9863), but said the process should not be rushed into and full weight should be given to the environmental impact assessments of the underground pipeline. (E.H. trans fl)