Bulgaria starts environmental process ahead of Nabucco gas pipeline SOFIA, Bulgaria, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- The Bulgarian government started the process for an environmental review of the planned Nabucco natural gas pipeline, the project company said. The project company announced the environmental impact assessment for the 256-mile section of the planned Nabucco natural gas pipeline through Bulgaria has entered the approval phase. Reinhard Mitschek, managing director for Nabucco Gas Pipeline GmbH, said the project is moving along as planned in the country. "Nabucco is committed to following best practices in line with national and international regulations, to working with all stakeholders to ensure that we present a win-win situation for the countries we transit," he said in a statement. The pipeline group said the next step for the project in Bulgaria is vetting public opinion about the project's intended route through the country. Nabucco is part of a network of pipelines meant to break Russia's grip on the European energy sector. The Shah Deniz II consortium is expected by next year to make a final decision between the Nabucco West pipeline and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline as the conduit for Azeri natural gas.