nuclear-news

European Commission hampers Hungary’s €12bn nuclear deal with Russia

EU blocks Hungary’s €12bn nuclear deal with Russia, Ft. March 12, 2015 Andrew Byrne in Budapest and Christian Oliver in Brussels  The EU has blocked Hungary’s €12bn nuclear deal with Russia, in a decision that is likely to inflame tensions between the Kremlin and Brussels.

The ruling from the European Commission is a setback for Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, who has courted the Kremlin despite the conflict in Ukraine……..

Arguments have raged for weeks over the technical, financial and fuel provision agreements of the contracts with Rosatom. All nuclear fuel supply contracts signed by EU member states must be approved by Euratom, which imposes financial and technical requirements on fuel suppliers.

In the end, Euratom refused to approve Hungary’s plans to import nuclear fuel exclusively from Russia. Hungary appealed against the decision, but according to three people close to the talks, the European Commission has now thrown its weight behind Euratom’s rejection of the contract.

The decision, details of which were kept secret, came at a meeting in Brussels last week of all 28 EU commissioners, including Hungary’s Tibor Navracsics.

The result is to block the whole Paks II expansion. To revive it, Hungary would need to negotiate a new fuel contract or pursue legal action against the commission.

March 13, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, politics international