EU Offers Bulgaria Extra EUR 260 M for Nuclear Dismantling

EU has offered Bulgaria an additional EUR 260 M for the closure of units 1-4 of the country's Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, it was made clear on Friday, as a draft 2014-2020 EU budget was presented by Herman van Rompuy.

The EU had initially proposed a mere EUR 185 M for the four closed nuclear units, the Bulgarian National Radio has reminded.

However, the country's government has demanded a total of EUR 450 M.

Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant, which has been operating since 1974, raised safety concerns, and the country agreed to shut four of its units as a condition of joining the European Union in 2007.

The sums allocated in the EU 2014-2020 budget for nuclear decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Lithuania and Slovakia are now also increased, EurActiv has informed.

Lithuania is to get for Ignalina EUR 400 M, up from EUR 210 M in the older proposal; while Slovakia will get EUR 200 M for Bohunice, up from EUR 105 M.

The Union assistance for decommissioning of nuclear power plants aims at reaching an irreversible state in the decommissioning process and eliminating the major source of radiological hazard.