Question for written answer P-004257/2015 to the Commission Rule 130 Csaba Molnár (S&D)
Subject: Enlargement of the Paks nuclear power plant and its compatibility with EU law
The Hungarian Government decided on the enlargement of the Paks nuclear power plant without any public consultation, and then ordered that the impact statements on the enlargement project, together with the details of the EUR 12 billion loan agreement with Russia, be kept secret for 30 years on account of alleged security risks. The enlargement of the Paks nuclear power plant, which will determine Hungary’s electricity supply for the next 60 years, as well as its energy security, gives cause for concern in several respects. The investment is contrary to EU competition law, because the contract was awarded to the Russian undertaking Rosatom without a public procurement procedure and without issuing any invitation to tender. At the same time, it is worrying that, according to the Hungarian Government’s plans, nuclear fuel for the operation of the new reactors at Paks would be imported only from Russia, thus further increasing Hungary’s energy dependence on Russia. According to reports in the press, the Commission recently approved Euratom's rejection decision concerning Hungary's expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant. Tibor Navracsics, the Commissioner responsible for education policy, has also confirmed this. In the interests of openness and transparency, I should like, as a Member of the European Parliament, to ask the Commission to answer the following questions as a matter of urgency:
1. Did the Commission really approve Euratom’s negative decision on Hungary’s expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant?
2. Does the Commission expect the negative decision on the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant to result in the project’s being halted?
3. Does the Commission consider that the agreement on the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant infringes EU provisions concerning the transportation of nuclear fuel and increases Hungary’s energy dependence on Russia?
1054321.EN PE 553.390