November 16, 2005: Speech: Explanation of vote Tobias Pflüger: If the EU once in a while and exceptionally promotes the closing of nuclear power plants for the protection of man and environment, as in the case of the Slovakian nuclear reactor Bohunice V1, this must be supported:

The promotion of nuclear power by the EU, as fixed in the Euratom treaty, must be discontinued. If the EU, in an exceptional case, for once, promotes the closing of nuclear power plants for the protection of man and environment as in the case of the Slovakian reactor Bohunice V1, this should be supported, even if the distinction by the EU Commission between the “good” reactors in the West and the “dangerous” ones in the East of Europe is untenable.

The high promotion in the beginning is reasonable to bring about a fast start of the shut-down process, since the Slovakian Republic has by way of one fund only accumulated 320 million €s to that end. This subsidisation corresponds to the obligations incurred in connection with the joining of the EU by Slovakia.

Without the support by the EU, a continued operation of the reactors of Bohunice V1 must be feared that would be linked to considerable security risks. Without EU means, there is, moreover, no assurance that for the safety of man and environment, closing-down measures will indeed be immediately started.

The use of EU funds should be limited, however, to the shut-down of the reactors of Bohunice V1 and the measures linked to that. Article 2 of the commission proposals should be supplemented in this sense, and beyond the detailed presentation of the use of means, lay down priority goals of the EU, such as the keeping of high safety standards during shut-down and the realisation of the climate protection goal by the subsidisation of renewable energies.

Published by the Delegation of the Left Party.PDS
Translated by Carla Krüger, November 17th, 2005