EU asked to justify “political closure” of Bohunice

30 October 2001


Two members of the European Parliament say the EuropeanCommission should justify its insistence on the closure of the two Bohunice V1 units in Slovakia. Gordon Adam of the UK and Piia-Noora Kauppi of Finland also questioned the general stance taken on plant closures in EU candidate countries.

The two MEPs recently completed a fact-finding visit to Bohunice V1. Their report stated: “There is no doubt that the closure of the two units at Bohunice V1 is a political decision. The Commission should be asked to justify its accession negotiating stance, given the upgrading that has been carried out to achieve safety standards comparable to reactors of similar vintage in the EU, and that this has been achieved at reasonable cost.” They reviewed the current situation with reference to recommendations made by the Western European Nuclear Regulators’ Association (Wenra) last year, and recommended that greater attention be paid to the need for clear energy strategies in accession countries.

Slovakia has agreed to close the two V1 units in 2006 and 2008 under pressure from the EU. The two MEPs pointed out that there is no clear strategy for replacing the capacity of the units. They suggested a number of options, including the completion of units 3 and 4 at Mochovce (which are about 70% complete).



Privacy Policy
We have updated our privacy policy. In the latest update it explains what cookies are and how we use them on our site. To learn more about cookies and their benefits, please view our privacy policy. Please be aware that parts of this site will not function correctly if you disable cookies. By continuing to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy unless you have disabled them.