New Member States
Friday, 07 September 2007 14:23 | 
Background
EU’s successive enlargements meant profound changes for the institutional environment in which FORATOM operates. Therefore new platforms were needed to facilitate building contacts with new key players within the EU institutions. They proved efficient in bringing together the politicians of the acceding countries with the stakeholders of the nuclear sector and the EU policy-makers.
Since the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, who joined the EU on 1 January 2007, the number of EU nations using nuclear energy has increased to 15 out of 27. These nuclear Member States rely on nuclear energy to varying degrees. For instance, the nuclear share in total power generation is as high as 73% and 76% in Lithuania and France respectively, and as low as 4% in the Netherlands. There are now 145 power reactors in operation across the new, enlarged European Union. About one third (29.5%) of all the electricity produced in the EU is nuclear-generated.
Latest Developments
Currently, the interest of the Task Force is directed in particular towards the developments in the Baltic States, Poland and in the two new comers, Bulgaria and Romania. The Task Force follows also with great interest the developments in Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovenia where nuclear new build is either planned or seriously considered.
In Lithuania, closing down of the second unit of the Ignalina NPP in 2009 will result in a substantial decrease of power generation capacity. The country, as other Baltic States, is strongly dependent on deliveries of Russian natural gas. The reliance will be even larger after Ignalina's shut down. On 27 February 2006, the three Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) agreed on the joint construction of a NPP in Lithuania by 2015 to compensate for the loss of capacity at Ignalina. The Lithuanian government confirmed in its national energy strategy of December 2006 plans to build a new nuclear power station. Currently the energy companies of Lithuania; Latvia, Estonia and Poland are discussing the timeline and strategy for the investment.
The Polish Energy Policy up to 2025, approved by the Council of Ministers in January 2005, revealed the government's plans to build the country's first nuclear power plant by 2021-22. Nuclear power will aim at helping Poland (whose energy generation is based mainly on coal) meet the increased electricity demand, reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure security of supply. The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, confirmed these plans by announcing on 13 January 2009 that Poland had “adopted a Resolution on nuclear energy…and that by 2020 electricity will be generated by one or two nuclear power plants.”
At the end of 2006 Bulgaria shut down Units 3 and 4 of Kozloduy nuclear power plant (NPP), in order to meet the requirements for joining the European Union. The country plans to build a 2000 megawatt NPP in Belene to compensate for the loss of power and launched a call for tender for its construction on 10 May 2005. The Russian company, Atomstroyexport won the bid to build the new NPP. It is Bulgaria’s largest development project for 20 years. The first unit of the new plant should begin operating in 2011, with a second reactor starting up in 2013. The construction officially started in September 2008.
Romania is also moving ahead with nuclear new build in Cernavoda which Units 3 and 4 are due to be operational by 2014 and 2015 respectively.
In Slovakia two additional units will be completed at Mochovce NPP by 2012 and 2013. There are plans to expand nuclear capacity also at the Jaslovske Bohunice site.
In March 2009 the Hungarian parliament approved with an overwhelming majority a decision-in-principle that paves the way for construction of a new reactor unit at the country’s Paks nuclear power plant.
FORATOM New Member States Task Force
The New Member States Task Force was created in January 2004 as a continuation of the Accession Task Force whose mandate came to an end in 2003. The Accession Task Force provided an excellent platform for nuclear sectors of acceding countries by facilitating them contact building with key officials within the EU institutions. It was felt that this work should be continued after the 2004 accession to help the new Member States' nuclear industries work with the EU institutions and create new networking opportunities.
Links
