(17/04/07) Protest tegen Italiaanse overheidssteun voor reactor in Slovakije

• 2007-04-17

De Europese Groenen hebben een onderhoud gehad met eurocommissaris Neelie Kroes, verantwoordelijk voor het concurrentiebeleid. Ze hadden het over de nucleaire reactor die - met steun van het Italiaanse overheidsbedrijf ENEL (elektriciteit) - verbouwd zou worden in Slovakije. Een beslissing daarover wordt eerdaags verwacht. Met de verbouwing gaat flink wat overheidssteun gepaard en daarover bestaan in de EU strenge regels. Het gaat om een oude reactor die nog werkt met veiligheidsvoorschriften van voor Tsjernobyl. De Europese groenen wijzen erop dat er overigens niet zoiets bestaat als 'veilige nucleaire energie'. Kroes, van haar kant, heeft beloofd het dossier van zeer nabij op te volgen.

Energy safety
Concerns expressed at proposed nuclear development in Slovakia

In the coming weeks the Italian electricity company ENEL is expected to take a final formal decision on whether to develop an old nuclear reactor in Mochovce, Slovakia, by constructing an additional two outdated blocks. Greens MEPs Monica Frassoni, Rebecca Harms and Claude Turmes met with Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes on 16 April to express their deep concerns about this prospect and the fact that the development is likely to be dependent on a significant amount of state aid. Following the meeting, Greens/EFA Co-President Monica Frassoni stated:
"Environmentalists and Greens across Europe are gravely concerned by the proposed expansion of the Mochovce nuclear power plant. The Mochovce reactor is based on 1970s soviet technology and is one of the most outdated in Europe, lacking many of the crucial safety mechanisms introduced after Chernobyl, notably containment. By proceeding with this development, ENEL would be acting in contradiction to what it is claiming in Italy i.e. that it is investing in safe and advanced technologies. There is no such thing as safe nuclear technology."

"ENEL would also be ignoring the will of a clearly anti-nuclear Italian public, which is disturbing given ENEL is a partially state-owned firm. We fully support the demonstration organised by Greenpeace at various Italian embassies today in opposition to ENEL's planned nuclear investment."

Greens energy spokespersons Rebecca Harms and Claude Turmes added:
"In addition to safety issues, the proposed development at Mochovce would not be feasible without flouting EU competitive rules. Such a project could only be profitable with massive, distorting state subsidies. ENEL itself made clear that the Slovakian State would have to provide financial incentives for it to invest in the development of Mochovce - such as an artificial cap on annual payments to the state fund for nuclear decommissioning fund (to the benefit of ENEL), with the burden for financing past nuclear liabilities being passed on to consumers through a special fee. We welcome the response of Commissioner Kroes, who assured as that she would carefully investigate the state aid compliance of the project and respond by the summer."