Calls for Czech nuclear plant conference given short shrift

Date: 06/09/01

By David Cronin

MEPS' calls for an international conference on the future of a controversial Czech nuclear plant have been dismissed by Prague's EU representative.

Earlier this week the European Parliament adopted a motion urging the setting-up of a special forum to examine safety concerns over the Temelin complex, located 60 kilometres from the Czech border with Germany and Austria.

But Libor Secka, the Czech ambassador to Brussels, told European Voice that he did not see the need for such a conference because Temelin is already the subject of top-level talks with neighbouring states.

Although both Vienna and Berlin have made Temelin a crunch issue in the discussions over the Czech bid for EU membership, Prague believes it is making progress in convincing critics that the plant is safe.

The Czech press reported last month that German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder had promised his Czech counterpart Milos Zeman that he would tone down his opposition to the plant, which uses a combination of Soviet era and Western-designed technology.

But senior figures in Austria are continuing to voice strong opinions against Temelin.

The far-right Freedom Party, junior partner in the country's ruling coalition, has cited the plant as one of the reasons why it is wary about Union enlargement in general. "The dialogue we've had has been useful in softening the tension and improving the atmosphere," said Secka. "But some political forces in Austria find it useful to use Temelin in an internal political game."

As part of its efforts to convince EU states that Temelin can operate safely, Prague published a voluminous report assessing its environmental impact in late July. Based on the work of a government-appointed team of nuclear experts, it concluded that any damage resulting from the plant's activities would be "of low importance and acceptable".

Since then, though, Austria has demanded that an investigation should be conducted into seven technical issues surrounding Temelin, including concerns that the area where it is located could be earthquake-prone. "The Czech Republic still has a long way to go before it can convince Austria that the plant's operations are justified," said one Vienna official.

The plant's future is due to be discussed at a meeting between Jan Kavan, the Czech foreign affairs minister, and Wilhelm Molterrer, the Austrian environment chief, on 21 September.

MEPs' calls for an international conference on the future of a controversial Czech nuclear plant have been dismissed by Prague's EU representative.