{"id":47725,"date":"2025-09-11T11:27:05","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T09:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/?p=47725"},"modified":"2025-09-11T11:27:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T09:27:13","slug":"eu-court-rules-hungarys-funding-of-paks-nuclear-plant-illegal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/issues\/climate-energy\/47725\/eu-court-rules-hungarys-funding-of-paks-nuclear-plant-illegal\/","title":{"rendered":"EU court rules Hungary\u2019s funding of Paks nuclear plant illegal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brussels<\/strong> \u2013 The EU\u2019s highest court has ruled<\/a> that Hungary\u2019s public funding of a nuclear power plant, after awarding the contract to the Russian state nuclear corporation, was illegal. The European Court of Justice sided with Austria in a case it took against the European Commission\u2019s approval of Hungary\u2019s \u2018state aid\u2019 to the Paks II nuclear project despite Hungary\u2019s failure to run a proper tendering process, directly granting Rosatom the multi-billion-euro project.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

When the Commission green-lit Hungary\u2019s subsidies for the nuclear project in 2017, Greenpeace argued<\/a> that the direct award was an undue gift from Hungary to Russia\u2019s Rosatom and should never have been authorised. Today\u2019s ruling confirms Greenpeace\u2019s concerns over the illegality of the Commission\u2019s decision, which undermines the effectiveness of EU sanctions and effectively allows Russia to profit from the Hungarian taxpayers\u2019 money while waging war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace EU legal strategist, Andrea Carta,<\/strong> said: \u201cToday\u2019s ruling spotlights a spectacular regulatory failure on the part of the European Commission. Even with Hungary\u2019s breach of tendering rules plain to see, the EU\u2019s competition authorities scrambled to approve the Paks II subsidies so that Hungary could buy Rosatom\u2019s reactors, saddling Hungarian taxpayers with the bill. With this wasteful and harmful project dead in the water, Hungary can now invest in the renewable energy and energy savings that will start cutting pollution and people\u2019s bills straight away.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

The Paks II project consists of two large reactors supplied to Hungary by Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom. The engineering, procurement and construction contract was concluded in 2014 between Rosatom\u2019s subsidiary Nizhny Novgorod Engineering Company Atomenergoproekt and Hungarian state-owned company Paks II.<\/p>\n\n

According to this contract, the two new reactors for the Paks nuclear power plant were meant to start operation in 2025 and 2026 respectively. However, the project has suffered many years of delay and the construction is scheduled to start only in November 2025.  <\/p>\n\n

In 2017, the European Commission had authorised the state aid for the construction of these two reactors, despite the fact that Hungary directly awarded the project to Rosatom instead of running a proper tender procedure as mandated by EU public procurement rules.<\/p>\n\n

Next steps<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The court ruling now means the European Commission must ensure that no more public money is paid into the Paks II project, and that any public money already paid to Rosatom is returned. <\/p>\n\n

Contacts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Andrea Carta, Greenpeace EU legal strategist: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

+32 (0)496 16 15 82 | andrea.carta@greenpeace.org<\/a> <\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace EU press desk<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n

+32 (0)2 274 1911 | pressdesk.eu@greenpeace.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

For breaking news and comment on EU affairs: Bluesky<\/a> <\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. We do not accept donations from governments, the EU, businesses or political parties. Greenpeace has over three million supporters, and 26 independent national and regional organisations with offices in more than 55 countries.<\/p>\n\n

EU Transparency Register: 9832909575-41<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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