Warns that EU Commission's weakness jeopardizes early shutdown of other dangerous reactors in CEE
Greenpeace today condemned the European Commission's backdown on closure dates for the Bohunice V1 reactors in Slovakia. The EU Commission yesterday said it 'welcomed' the Slovakian Government's decision to close the two units by 2006 and 2008, despite previously having had an agreement to close them by 2000. Greenpeace warned that the EU Commission's weakness would increase the change that other countries operating high-risk reactors may also renege on the closure agreements currently being negotiated.
The EU Commission's comments came in a press release yesterday in response to the Slovakian Government's decision to close the Bohunice V1 reactors in 2006 and 2008. The release claimed that the new dates were 'an important step in [Slovakia's] European integration efforts'. This is a major backdown for the EU Commission. Previously, it had expected that the reactors would be closed in 2000, in line with a Slovakian Presidential Decree from 1994. This decree was annulled in 1994, a decision which the EU met with silence.
"The European Commission has been totally spineless" said Greenpeace nuclear campaigner Ben Pearson. "When the decree to close Bohunice in 2000 was annulled in April they remained silent. Now, Slovakia announces that it will operate these extremely dangerous reactors for 6 to 8 additional years in the heart of Europe and the EU Commission welcomes the decision. It is a serious blow to the EU's credibility and that of the new Commission".
The full extent of the EU Commission's backdown is revealed by a November 1998 accession progress report, in which the Commission warned: "The Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant units 1 and 2 are expected to be licensed for long term operation in 1999 after a major upgrading programme. This plan is neither in line with the Accession Partnership nor with a Slovak Government Decree from 1994."
"When the Accession process was launch the Commission said that nuclear safety was a critical issue and needed to be addressed", said Pearson. "However, the Commission has sacrificed nuclear safety for political expedience, something that we may all live to regret".
Furthermore, the EU Commission's statement proposed that additional funds through PHARE and Euratom be made available to assist Slovakia as early as this year. Therefore the EU Commission is proposing to financially reward the Slovakian nuclear industry for breaking agreements reinforced by Agenda 2000. - The EU Commission is currently negotiating early closure agreements with Bulgaria and Lithuania. Without doubt their negotiators will take note of the EU Commission's approach and be expecting a renegotiations of current positions.
In December, EU member states will meet in Helsinki to decide whether to open negotiations with Slovakia on EU membership. Greenpeace is calling on EU member states, particularly anti-nuclear countries, to reject the EU Commission's weak position and instead insist on the reintroduction of the 1994 decree to close Bohunice by 2000 as a condition for starting negotiations.
