WRITTEN QUESTION P-2281/99

by Ursula Stenzel (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 November 1999)

Subject: Enlargement strategy and nuclear safety

The European Commission has changed its negotiating strategy and now seeks to enable accession negotiations with all applicant states in order to avoid a division into two groups.

Is a deadline for decommissioning reactors Nos 1 and 4 at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant a precondition for opening negotiations with Bulgaria?

What line is being taken on Slovakia, which, to comply with Austria's requirements, could only accede to the EU if it had closed down its Bohunice nuclear power plant by the year 2006?

What timetable does it propose for opening negotiations with the countries of the second group in relation to this problem?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 1999)

The Community attaches particular attention to nuclear safety in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The European Council in Cologne stressed the importance of nuclear safety in the context of enlargement and called on the Commission to examine this issue thoroughly in its next regular reports on the progress of candidate countries towards accession. Nuclear safety will be subject to continued scrutiny and supportive action by the Commission in the pre-accession period.

As for reactors in candidate countries that are not upgradeable to international safety standards at a reasonable cost (Ignalina in Lithuania, Bohunice V1 in Slovakia and units 1-4 of the Kozloduy in Bulgaria), the Commission, in line with the positions taken by the Council and the Parliament, has been seeking their earliest practicable closure through commitment of the concerned countries on realistic closure timetables, consistent where applicable with assumed international obligations. The Commission has also declared its willingness to assist these countries in implementing such timetables both technically and financially.

Following discussions with the Commission, Lithuania and Slovakia recently took decisions for closure of older reactors, and have been revising their energy strategies accordingly. In the case of Slovakia, the two Bohunice V1 reactors will be closed by 2006 and 2008, respectively.

As regards Bulgaria, in line with the Commission's October 1999 composite paper on the progress of candidate countries towards accession, an understanding was reached between the Bulgarian Government and the Commission, on 29th November 1999, stating that the Bulgarian Government was committed to definitively close units 1-4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant at the earliest possible dates. In this context, and on the basis of the commitment of the Commission for financial support, the Bulgarian Government commits itself to definitively close down units 1 and 2 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant before the year 2003.

On the occasion of the updating of the energy strategy which will be completed in 2002, Bulgaria will decide, in agreement with the Commission and taking account of the Nuclear safety account agreement and other relevant factors, on the definitive closure dates for units 3 and 4, which will be before the presently envisaged closure dates of 2008 and 2010, respectively. The Commission's understanding is that the definitive closure of these units will take place in 2006 at the latest.