Hungarian opposition turns to EC over battery plant in Hungary

The opposition Párbeszéd party has lodged a complaint with the European Commission over the planned construction of a battery plant in Debrecen, in eastern Hungary, saying that the plant was approved without adequate environmental impact studies.

Benedek Jávor, the party’s advisor on European Union affairs, told a press conference on Tuesday that the environmental impact and potential risks were not assessed adequately, and a long-term impact study was missing completely.

The plan was green-lighted without consideration of its impact on underground water reserves and the connected ecosystems, Jávor said. The water reserves around Debrecen are already overused, and would warrant a review of already existing permits, he said. Approving access for a plant with a daily demand of at least 20,000-25,000 cubic metres of water runs afoul of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive, he said.

The plant will also impact protected areas by further depleting underground water reserves, he said.