WRITTEN QUESTION E-0940/98

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE) to the Commission

(30 March 1998)

Subject: Operation of the Kozloduy nuclear power station: reduction of Bulgaria's dependency on nuclear energy and safety and protection measures

Given that in 1997 nuclear power accounted for 46 % of Bulgaria's total electricity production and that the agreement concluded between the European Union and Bulgaria allocating ECU 24 million for improving the safety of units 3 and 4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power station contains a commitment by the Bulgarian Government to close down units 1 to 4 as soon as certain conditions of the agreement concerning the supply of adequate amounts of energy from other sources are met,

Will the Commission say:

1. When is it planned to shut down units 1 to 4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power station which are the most antiquated and pose a threat to the citizens of Europe, and notably of Greece, which is located a mere 225 kilometres from the site of a potential nuclear disaster?

2. What progress has been made on work to modernize units 5 and 6 and the other programmes aimed at securing supplies of energy from other sources and how much has been allocated by the EU for these purposes?

3. How long will units 5 and 6 be able to continue functioning, even after modernization, given that reactors of this type use obsolete Soviet technology?

4. How is radioactive waste from the power station transported safely, what specific measures have been taken - or must be taken in future - to ensure the safe disposal of liquid waste in the environment, given that the reactors in question are water cooled and there is a very real danger of pollution of the surface water and of groundwaters, and how close is Bulgaria's environmental protection legislation to Community legislation in this field?

5. What policy and measures has the Commission adopted - or does it intend to adopt in future - in conjunction with the Bulgarian authorities with a view to reducing Bulgaria's dependency on nuclear power which is steadily increasing as the Bulgarian economy grows?

Answer given by Mr Van de Broek on behalf of the Commission

(14 May 1998)

The agreement providing a grant of ECU 24 million for safety improvements at Kozloduy reactors 3 and 4 was signed between the Bulgarian government and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Nuclear Safety Account, to which the Community is a donor.

1. The agreement provides for reactors 1 and 2 to close as soon as the Chaira pumping station is in operation and either reactor 5 or reactor 6 is modernised. Units 3 and 4 will close when the energy-supply situation allows, or (in any event) once reactors 5 and 6 have been modernised and the Sofia, Kostov and Republika district heating plants have been converted to combined cycle co-generation.

2. The Bulgarian government has signed a contract for the preparatory phase of the reactor 5 and reactor 6 modernisation project. Preparation and planning are under way and work is due to begin when section 5 is halted in summer 1998. The government has requested a Euratom loan of about ECU 100 million. The Commission is in the process of readying the documents needed to examine the application.

3. Kozloduy 5 and 6 are VVER 1 000 reactors, considered the most advanced of the Soviet designs. All the experts believe that they can be brought up to Western safety standards. Their original lifespan is 30 years.

4. In the Commission's examination of Bulgaria's application for a Euratom loan, radiological environmental

aspects are specifically included in the wide range of considerations to be taken into account.

5. In line with Community energy policy, the Commission considers that the contribution to be made by nuclear power to Bulgaria's overall energy balance is a matter for national decision, provided international environmental and safety norms and obligations are respected. These policies and priorities are reflected in the accession partnership for Bulgaria, adopted by the Commission on 25 March, which gives priority in the short-term to establishment of a comprehensive long-term energy strategy, respect of nuclear safety standards and realistic closure commitments for certain units as entered into in the Nuclear Safety Account agreement. Specific objectives falling with these headings include reorganisation of government and state functions and structures to give clearer separation of policy and regulatory functions from commercial energy transmission, generation and supply activities; introduction of effective competition; establishment of heat and power prices which fully recover costs; elimination of cross-subsidisation between sectors and non-payment of accounts; promotion of energy efficiency; compliance with Community environmental standards and safety requirements; and improvement of Bulgarian interconnections within the regional energy transmission networks for electricity, gas and oil.

The Community provided over ECU 70 million of assistance between 1991 and 1996 towards achievement of relevant objectives and for short-term emergency measures in the conventional energy sector. In addition, nearly ECU 50 million has been provided to improve nuclear safety. Further substantial Community technical and capital assistance could be agreed in future, in association with other major donors, provided a comprehensive energy policy covering the aspects identified above is agreed nationally and effectively implemented, and the objectives of the NSA agreement are respected.