Debate: Safety of the nuclear power plant in Ostrovets
Date: THURSDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2021
Speaker: Kadri Simson
Language: EN

You raised many topics, among them the issue of electricity trade. The three Baltic states decided already in August 2020 that commercial exchanges with electricity from Belarus will be stopped as soon as the Ostrovets nuclear power plant becomes operational, and commercial exchanges with Belarus have effectively stopped on 3 November last year when the nuclear power plant was connected to the grid. We do not have evidence that would confirm that the electricity sold to the Baltic market by Russia would have been bought from Belarus, but we are looking closely at all information available on trade flows and we will continue following the developments.  On the other hand, physical flows are unavoidable as the three Baltic states are still connected to the grid with Russia and Belarus. That is why we need the rest of this programme through the synchronisation process with the EU continental grid, and the Commission is committed and contributes to it with EUR one billion. Moreover, the European Council conclusions from December 2020 have raised the issue of EU-level measures to prohibit electricity from nuclear power plants from third countries which do not fulfil EU-recognised nuclear safety standards, and the Commission services are carrying out analyses on whether obligations under international law and national prerogatives on nuclear energy leave scope for measures at EU level concerning electricity imports from third countries. The Commission is also working closely with the Baltic states to explore whether specific measures could be put in place in the meantime before synchronisation takes place in 2025. Such measures include, for instance, robust investigations on the origin of electricity imported from third countries or defining a grid use tariff also for import flows.  Some of you also stressed the importance of implementing all the safety recommendations, and indeed the Commission insists on that. Yet the definition of key recommendations has not been made by the Commission but by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG), and I fully trust the expertise of ENSREG on this matter.  Some of you also asked me if we have a second opinion other than our ENSREG experts group. Belarus is party to the relevant International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear safety conventions, including the Convention on Nuclear Safety, and is bound by their requirements. Belarus has recently hosted a IAEA peer review mission and an integrated regulatory review services follow-up mission foreseen in the third quarter of this year. In any case, the Commission will not stop making any efforts to ensure the nuclear safety of the Ostrovets nuclear power plant based on the outcomes of this week’s peer review mission, and we know that a second mission must take place to look at all the other recommendations.  We make every effort that is needed to ensure the continuation of the voluntary cooperation between Belarus on nuclear safety. We will also continue to work on the follow-up to the December European Council conclusions and to promote joint action of the Baltic states and electricity trade issues, and on the progress of the synchronisation project. I count on your support on this.