Brussels – A European Parliament own-initiative report [1] that is due to be adopted this Tuesday afternoon could call for broad subsidies and state support for nuclear energy projects in Europe, warned Greenpeace. Pro-nuclear members of Parliament (MEPs) are attempting to include backing for nuclear power in a report on a European Commission energy plan known as the energy union [2].
The Hinkley Point B power station in south-west England. The UK government is seeking to build two new reactors, which would be known as Hinkley Point C.
If adopted as it stands, the draft report would call on the EU to enable nuclear power projects and endorse national and EU subsidy schemes for new reactors [3].
Greenpeace EU energy policy adviser Bram Claeys said:“This is an attempt by a handful of MEPs to give a lifeline to some near-bankrupt nuclear energy companies. But no Christmas gift can hide the fact that, despite massive amounts of nuclear subsidies, the EU hasn’t seen a new reactor in nine years. The few that are being built at the moment are massively delayed and way over budget. Nuclear power is a gigantic waste of time and money. There is no place for national or European funding for nuclear if the EU is to honour the Paris climate deal.”
In October 2013, the European Commission excluded nuclear energy from EU state aid guidelines, meaning the Commission must decide on each project on a case-by-case basis [4]. Since then, a decision by the Commission to approve state aid for nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point, in the UK, has been challenged by Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg before the European Court of Justice [5]. The case is still pending.
The Commission is also investigating a Hungarian decision to fund the construction of new reactors by Russian company Rosatom, thanks to an international loan by the Russian government [6].
Renewables, energy efficiency, a fully interconnected grid and citizen participation in renewable electricity generation are the only genuine path towards a European energy union, said Greenpeace.
Notes:
[1] Draft report by Polish ECR MEP Marek Józef Gróbarczyk: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fTEXT%2bREPORT%2bA8-2015-0341%2b0%2bDOC%2bXML%2bV0%2f%2fEN&language=EN
[2] http://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/Global/eu-unit/reports-briefings/2015/State%20of%20the%20energy%20union%20briefing%20FINAL%2016112015.pdf
[3] See paragraphs 139 and 140 at the above link.
[4] http://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/en/News/2014/New-EU-state-aid-rules-a-blow-for-UK-nuclear-energy-plan
[5] http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/21/austria-to-launch-lawsuit-hinkley-point-c-nuclear-subsidies
[6] http://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/en/News/2015/infringement-procedures-paks-nuclear-plant
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