EU approves Hungary-Russia nuclear fuel agreement, says Lazar
Budapest, April 20 (MTI) – The European Commission has approved Hungary’s agreement with Russia concerning radioactive fuel supplies for the Paks nuclear power plant, cabinet chief Janos Lazar told a press conference on Monday.
The Commission has informed the government in an official letter that the Euratom Supply Agency had granted its approval to the deal, Lazar said.
The approval clears all obstacles blocking a planned upgrade of the Paks plant, he said.
“Now the question is not if the upgrade goes ahead but in what way,” he said, adding that the actual construction of two new blocks could start in 2018.
Lazar insisted that it was a “great success” for the government to have been able to convince the European Commission that the Hungary-Russia agreement is “aimed at increasing Europe’s energy security rather than at increasing Hungary’s dependence on Russia”.
The cabined noted that Hungary sought three agreements with Russia, concerning the construction and management of, and fuel supplies for, the two new blocks at Paks. The third deal required direct approval from the Commission, he said.
Lazar said, however, that talks between the government and the Commission were still under way concerning economic competition and purchasing issues.
Contractors implementing the Paks upgrade need to be selected under European public procurement rules, Lazar said, but added that “all that is line with Hungary’s intentions and interests”.
The Paks plant will be upgraded by Russia’s Rosatom with credit from the state of Russia.
Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters
