BULGARIA MUST NOT CLOSE DOWN KOZLODUY NPP

Views on BG | November 10, 2001, Saturday // 00:00

Standart Daily

Interview with EU MP Carlo Fatuzzo. In the EU Parliament he is in the group of the European Popular Party and works in the Labor Force, Social Policy and Budget Commission.

Mr Fatuzzo, your stand on the future of the Kozloduy NPP was not conveyed correctly by Bulgarian media. It was said that at the sitting of the parliamentary committee you, reportedly, supported French deputy Catherine Guy Ken, who called that Kozloduy NPP be closed down. Would you, please, state your stand more precisely?

-I've always supported the use of nuclear power. But after the tragedy in Chernobyl it became more than evident, that the safety of the nuclear power plants in Eastern Europe should be improved still more and more. Generally, many of the candidate countries, including Bulgaria, face the same problem.

What stands did your colleagues in the Euro Parliament take?

-The deputies are divided almost into two equal parts as far as this issue is concerned. I'll ask the Environmental Commission with the Euro Parliament to give more time to Bulgaria even before the reactors I and II be closed down, which, according to the memorandum, should be done by end-2003. After the reconstruction is completed, only two of the six now operating reactors should be left. These two reactors must be reinforced to become safer. Most probably, a new memorandum will be adopted on them.

What precisely does it envisage?

-To this document, reactors III and IV must be closed down in 2004-05, while the last two ones should be a subject of a further consideration. So, to me, the problems of the Kozloduy NPP should be solved through upgrading and safety guarantees, rather than the plant to be closed down. It is clear that if the NPP be closed, you will be forced to buy electric power costing billions of Dollars, which the Bulgarian economy can not afford.

What decision did the Joint Parliamentary Committee take at its last sitting?

- At the last sitting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee "Bulgaria - EU", in the document "Declaration and Recommendation", the stand was adopted, that the reconstruction of the Kozloduy NPP should be solved within the framework of the overall restructuring of the Bulgarian energetics. But in the course of these changes your nuclear plant must be operating.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Views on BG » Be a reporter: Write and send your article

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria