91999E1426

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1426/99

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: EU funds for the Krsko nuclear power station in Slovenia

Austria has always led the way as regards the goal of a nuclear-free Central Europe. The country is, however, surrounded by nuclear power stations. As these fail, in many cases, to meet the required safety standards, it is vital to Austria that they are decommissioned.

1. Does the Krsko nuclear power station receive, or has it received, any form of EU financial assistance?

2. If so, what is the amount of such assistance?

3. In what form is such assistance granted (direct investments or loans)?

4. Under what programmes is such assistance granted?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(22 October 1999)

The safety of nuclear power plants in Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) is one of the main priorities of the Commission. This has been clearly underlined in the Agenda 2000 and in the Commission communication to the Council and to the Parliament of March 1998(1). In both documents, the CEEC nuclear installations are classified in three categories: reactors of Western design, reactors of Soviet design considered upgradable and reactors of Soviet design considered non-upgradable.

The Krsko nuclear power plant belongs to the first category. For this category, the March 1998 communication of the Commission establishes that the main objective is to ensure that the reactors remain at a high safety level over the long run.

In addition, the Council has, in its conclusions on nuclear safety in the context of the enlargement of the Union of 7 December 1998, asked the Commission to continue to co-operate, for example within the context of the Phare programme, to help improve nuclear safety in the candidate states. In particular, the Commission has been asked to promote through co-operation, the development of technically competent, adequately resourced and fully independent nuclear safety authorities.

Following this line, support is currently being provided to the Krsko nuclear plant in the framework of the Phare programme. An amount of 500 000 has been allocated to carry out a seismic analysis of the Krsko site. The project is currently on-going and first results are expected by the end of the present year.

Furthermore, also in the framework of the Phare programme, more than 1 million have been allocated to support the nuclear security authority in Slovenia, notably to transfer methodologies and procedures from Community nuclear safety regulators. A technical support to the Slovenian nuclear safety authority to review the results of the seismic analysis of the Krsko plant is also foreseen.

(1) COM(98) 134 final.