EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Green lawmakers in the European Parliament have criticised EU energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs for allowing the extended use of a Russian-designed nuclear power plant in Slovakia. "It is scandalous that commissioner Piebalgs has given the green light to resurrect an outdated nuclear project," reads a joint statement issued by leading green MEPs, Monica Frassoni and Rebecca Harms. Green MEPs say Brussels is supporting the "renaissance aspirations" of the nuclear industry ( According to the two parliamentarians, the commission's opinion on the plant, situated in Mochovce, "highlights its complicity with energy giants". "Commissioner Piebalgs is turning a blind eye to the Mochovce project's problems and indulging the renaissance aspirations of the nuclear industry," they said. The critical statement came shortly after the European Commission on Tuesday (15 July) gave its opinion on the project of Slovenske Elektrarne - owned by Italian energy firm Enel and the Slovak state - to build two reactors for the Mochovce nuclear power plant in western Slovakia.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Green lawmakers in the European Parliament have criticised EU energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs for allowing the extended use of a Russian-designed nuclear power plant in Slovakia.
"It is scandalous that commissioner Piebalgs has given the green light to resurrect an outdated nuclear project," reads a joint statement issued by leading green MEPs, Monica Frassoni and Rebecca Harms.
Green MEPs say Brussels is supporting the "renaissance aspirations" of the nuclear industry (
According to the two parliamentarians, the commission's opinion on the plant, situated in Mochovce, "highlights its complicity with energy giants". "Commissioner Piebalgs is turning a blind eye to the Mochovce project's problems and indulging the renaissance aspirations of the nuclear industry," they said.
The critical statement came shortly after the European Commission on Tuesday (15 July) gave its opinion on the project of Slovenske Elektrarne - owned by Italian energy firm Enel and the Slovak state - to build two reactors for the Mochovce nuclear power plant in western Slovakia.
The critical statement came shortly after the European Commission on Tuesday (15 July) gave its opinion on the project of Slovenske Elektrarne - owned by Italian energy firm Enel and the Slovak state - to build two reactors for the Mochovce nuclear power plant in western Slovakia. The two units, type VVER 440/V213 of Russian design, are expected to be up and running by 2012-2013. It took one year for EU officials to assess "the safety and security aspects" of Slovakia's application to build new reactors, with the country's prime minister, Robert Fico, often expressing frustration over the lengthy process.
The two units, type VVER 440/V213 of Russian design, are expected to be up and running by 2012-2013.
It took one year for EU officials to assess "the safety and security aspects" of Slovakia's application to build new reactors, with the country's prime minister, Robert Fico, often expressing frustration over the lengthy process.
