We are constantly in intensive dialog with our stakeholders, especially on a regional level. After all, the people living in the communities where we are based are the ones most directly affected by the company’s decisions. We actively seek dialog with local people and regional decision makers in our visitor centers and at our events. We include our neighbors on the ground in the planning of large projects from an early stage, as we can only sustain our success in the long term if we have their support.

The construction of the Nord Stream Pipeline shows how important dialog with regional neighbors is. The new gas pipeline across the Baltic Sea is a joint project from Gazprom, BASF, E.ON and Gasunie. In December 2007, a corresponding agreement was reached with Gazprom. The pipeline spans 1,220 km between Wyborg in Russia and Greifswald in Germany. In the last few months, Scandinavian and Baltic countries in particular have voiced their concerns about the Pan-European infrastructure project. We want to counteract these objections in an international consultation procedure. A total of 129 statements from authorities, associations and private people were forwarded to the company Nord Stream. These statements will have a place in the environmental report. The report includes comprehensive information on the project and should help succeed in changing public opinion about the pipeline’s construction.

In August 2007, a half-inch-thick steel wall of a high-pressure natural gas pipeline in Gräveneck, Mittelhessen ruptured. It was caused by ground shifting on the side of a hill near the pipeline resulting from rain-saturated soil and the extra weight of excavated earth that had been piled on the hill. No one was hurt in the incident. There were no service interruptions for our gas transport customers, and we swiftly reached agreements to compensate owners for any property damage. Gas service was quickly restored to the surrounding communities. E.ON Ruhrgas and E.ON Gastransport kept the public and authorities well informed throughout the incident. They also sent E.ON Ruhrgas´s Chief Technology Officer and other senior executives to survey the situation and talk with residents and assure them of the superb safety record of natural gas pipelines.

A whole host of public exhibitions and information displays have accompanied plans for an underground gas storage facility in East Yorkshire. The events highlight the possibilities that the facility will offer in the future: enough storage for the amount of gas Britain needs on a cold winter’s day. The region’s local population was kept informed at every step of the planning process. They should be as closely involved in the process as possible to ensure all their thoughts and questions can be heard.