Work
26.October 2006 - 00:00
Kozloduy nuclear plant closures
In 1999, Bulgaria was obliged to close four of its six nuclear power plants in Kozloduy as a precondition for its accession discussions. Two units have been closed in accordance with the agreement, and the other two are due to close by the end of 2006. Following extensive investment and independent inspection, these units now meet all safety criteria, and the Council’s Atomic Questions Group reports that no further monitoring is necessary. If the remaining unit closures go ahead as agreed, the region will suffer blackouts. The limited replacement plant is lignite fuelled, and increased greenhouse gas emissions will result. This also increases external energy dependency. Could the Council delay the closure and take time to review this outdated decision?
Reply drafted by The Presidency-in-Office of the Council of the European Union, who bears sole responsibility for these answers
Accession negotiations with Bulgaria were officially concluded in 2004. In the talks on the chapter in the report that deals with energy, Bulgaria undertook to close reactors 1 and 2 at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant before 2003, and it honoured this commitment by closing the reactors in question at the end of 2002. Bulgaria has confirmed its commitment to close reactors 3 and 4 for decommissioning in 2006. This commitment is cited in Article 30(1) of the Protocol to the Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania(1) . Improving levels of nuclear safety in reactors 3 and 4 does not alter the commitments made by Bulgaria in the accession negotiations.
As the honourable Member will know, the European Union, throughout its accession negotiations with Bulgaria, stressed the importance of stringent requirements for nuclear safety and a high level of environmental protection. The same is true for the accession negotiations with other countries in the fifth enlargement round.
The European Union has stated that it is prepared to grant sufficient Community aid for Bulgaria to be able to take action to close and decommission reactors 1-4 at Kozloduy. The EU will have contributed EUR 550 million in all for the period 2000-2009. The aid granted for preparation for accession totalled EUR 340 million. Under Article 30(2) of the Protocol, another EUR 210 million is to be committed, and the same section also states that the assistance shall, inter alia, cover measures in support of the decommissioning of Units 1-4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, measures for environmental upgrading in line with the acquis, measures for the modernisation of the conventional energy production, transmission and distribution sectors in Bulgaria, and measures to improve energy efficiency, to enhance the use of renewable energy sources and to improve security of energy supply.
Moreover, Bulgaria may ask for the general safeguard clause to be invoked, within the meaning of Article 36. The section in question states the following: ‘If, until the end of a period of up to three years after accession, difficulties arise which are serious and liable to persist in any sector of the economy or which could bring about serious deterioration in the economic situation of a given area, Bulgaria or Romania may apply for authorisation to take protective measures in order to rectify the situation and adjust the sector concerned to the economy of the internal market.’
Article 36 of the Protocol makes it clear that, in order to take advantage of this option, the Member State concerned must first ask the Commission for permission to take protective measures. The request must be accompanied by the relevant background information. On receipt of the request, the Commission will decide on the protective measures which it considers necessary. It is thus for the Commission to judge whether or not to grant authorisation for such measures as those referred to by the honourable Member.
The Council would also like to remind the honourable Member that it really does consider the security of the supply of energy, competitiveness and environmental sustainability to be the cornerstones of Europe’s energy policy, as the conclusions which the European Council adopted in March 2006 on a European Energy Policy confirmed.
The recent European Parliament and Council Decision laying down guidelines for trans-European energy networks²(2) and the Treaty establishing the Energy Community will help create a regionally integrated market for electricity and natural gas networks in South-Eastern Europe and link them to larger EU markets. This is an important step towards guaranteeing energy policy security, competitiveness and sustainability for the region. Furthermore, Bulgaria is a party to the Treaty establishing the Energy Community, which recently came into force. The tasks of the Energy Community include improving the situation with regard to the environment and increasing the use of renewable energy. Accordingly, we need to look into what approaches and methods might be applied within this operational framework. This will then provide Bulgaria, as a full Member State of the EU, with greater potential for seeking solutions to the question which the honourable Member has raised.
The security of the supply of energy, competitiveness and sustainability will also serve as the basis for a strategic survey on energy, which the European Commission intends to present to the Council and the European Parliament in 2007.
(1) Official Journal L 157 of 21 June 2006, pp. 29-45.
(2) European Parliament and Council Decision No 1364/2006/EC, of 6.9.2006, laying down guidelines for trans-European energy networks and repealing Decision No 96/391/EC and Decision No 1229/2003/EC. Official Journal L 262 of 22 September 2006, p. 1.
In 1999, Bulgaria was obliged to close four of its six nuclear power plants in Kozloduy as a precondition for its accession discussions. Two units have been closed in accordance with the agreement, and the other two are due to close by the end of 2006. Following extensive investment and independent inspection, these units now meet all safety criteria, and the Council’s Atomic Questions Group reports that no further monitoring is necessary. If the remaining unit closures go ahead as agreed, the region will suffer blackouts. The limited replacement plant is lignite fuelled, and increased greenhouse gas emissions will result. This also increases external energy dependency. Could the Council delay the closure and take time to review this outdated decision?
Reply drafted by The Presidency-in-Office of the Council of the European Union, who bears sole responsibility for these answers
Accession negotiations with Bulgaria were officially concluded in 2004. In the talks on the chapter in the report that deals with energy, Bulgaria undertook to close reactors 1 and 2 at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant before 2003, and it honoured this commitment by closing the reactors in question at the end of 2002. Bulgaria has confirmed its commitment to close reactors 3 and 4 for decommissioning in 2006. This commitment is cited in Article 30(1) of the Protocol to the Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania(1) . Improving levels of nuclear safety in reactors 3 and 4 does not alter the commitments made by Bulgaria in the accession negotiations.
As the honourable Member will know, the European Union, throughout its accession negotiations with Bulgaria, stressed the importance of stringent requirements for nuclear safety and a high level of environmental protection. The same is true for the accession negotiations with other countries in the fifth enlargement round.
The European Union has stated that it is prepared to grant sufficient Community aid for Bulgaria to be able to take action to close and decommission reactors 1-4 at Kozloduy. The EU will have contributed EUR 550 million in all for the period 2000-2009. The aid granted for preparation for accession totalled EUR 340 million. Under Article 30(2) of the Protocol, another EUR 210 million is to be committed, and the same section also states that the assistance shall, inter alia, cover measures in support of the decommissioning of Units 1-4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, measures for environmental upgrading in line with the acquis, measures for the modernisation of the conventional energy production, transmission and distribution sectors in Bulgaria, and measures to improve energy efficiency, to enhance the use of renewable energy sources and to improve security of energy supply.
Moreover, Bulgaria may ask for the general safeguard clause to be invoked, within the meaning of Article 36. The section in question states the following: ‘If, until the end of a period of up to three years after accession, difficulties arise which are serious and liable to persist in any sector of the economy or which could bring about serious deterioration in the economic situation of a given area, Bulgaria or Romania may apply for authorisation to take protective measures in order to rectify the situation and adjust the sector concerned to the economy of the internal market.’
Article 36 of the Protocol makes it clear that, in order to take advantage of this option, the Member State concerned must first ask the Commission for permission to take protective measures. The request must be accompanied by the relevant background information. On receipt of the request, the Commission will decide on the protective measures which it considers necessary. It is thus for the Commission to judge whether or not to grant authorisation for such measures as those referred to by the honourable Member.
The Council would also like to remind the honourable Member that it really does consider the security of the supply of energy, competitiveness and environmental sustainability to be the cornerstones of Europe’s energy policy, as the conclusions which the European Council adopted in March 2006 on a European Energy Policy confirmed.
The recent European Parliament and Council Decision laying down guidelines for trans-European energy networks²(2) and the Treaty establishing the Energy Community will help create a regionally integrated market for electricity and natural gas networks in South-Eastern Europe and link them to larger EU markets. This is an important step towards guaranteeing energy policy security, competitiveness and sustainability for the region. Furthermore, Bulgaria is a party to the Treaty establishing the Energy Community, which recently came into force. The tasks of the Energy Community include improving the situation with regard to the environment and increasing the use of renewable energy. Accordingly, we need to look into what approaches and methods might be applied within this operational framework. This will then provide Bulgaria, as a full Member State of the EU, with greater potential for seeking solutions to the question which the honourable Member has raised.
The security of the supply of energy, competitiveness and sustainability will also serve as the basis for a strategic survey on energy, which the European Commission intends to present to the Council and the European Parliament in 2007.
(1) Official Journal L 157 of 21 June 2006, pp. 29-45.
(2) European Parliament and Council Decision No 1364/2006/EC, of 6.9.2006, laying down guidelines for trans-European energy networks and repealing Decision No 96/391/EC and Decision No 1229/2003/EC. Official Journal L 262 of 22 September 2006, p. 1.