We strongly oppose the completion of these unnecessary new reactors, and our opposition is shared by a vast majority of Ukrainians and NGOs throughout Europe, as the EBRD public consultation process has demonstrated.
Nuclear power continues to create environmental and safety threats throughout Europe and the world.
In Eastern Europe especially, nuclear power continues to be relied on heavily, in a region where safety standards and quality of equipment are generally lower than they are in Western Europe. We are very concerned that the expansion of nuclear power in Eastern Europe will only compound these problems. Ukraine and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe are at a crossroads in terms of power generation. Part of the legacy from the old Soviet regime is heavy reliance on nuclear power and the use of obsolete and unsafe reactor design types. These reactors, including the VVER 1000 type used at K2 and R4, have been identified by the IAEA as having serious and fundamental safety flaws that are not entirely correctable.