The issues concerning the safety of the Nuclear Power plant Kozloduy may be solved only by a regulatory body, Energy Minister Milko Kovachev said. He explained the lack of confidence in the nuclear sector in Bulgaria with the lack of competent, efficient and professional regulatory body for the last twelve years. He recalled that the political decision for adopting a schedule on the units’ closure was proposed to three countries in 1999. “ Two of them now are soon to become EU members”, Minister Kovachev pointed out. That was the reason why the Cabinet adopted a program for accelerated accession, he underlined, adding that this is just the political dimension of the issue. Besides them Minister Kovachev listed the number of economic criteria, including the GDP per capita, infrastructure and energy issues. In a separate development Yanko Yanev, former chairman of the Committee for the Use of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes, said that in its EU negotiations it is very important that Bulgaria sets its priorities right, when N-plant Kozloduy is concerned. In his opinion there are three top priorities for Bulgaria at the moment – economic development, retaining its energy infrastructure and achieving the political goal of EU entry. On March 28 MPs from the Simeon II National Movement, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the Union of Democratic Forces backed the agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) regarding the operation of the Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund (KIDSF), signed in London on June 15, 2001. The agreement is about the assistance of EBRD in the closure of Bulgaria’s N-plant Kozloduy units. MPs from the leftist opposition, who walked out of the plenary hall, commented that after the agreement is ratified, Bulgaria will be legally obliged to close first and second units by the end of 2002, while third and fourth by the end of 2006.

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