Luxembourg backs Austria’s suit against Paks upgrade

Luxembourg supports Austria’s case against the upgrade of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant, Luxembourg’s Minister of Environment Carole Dieschbourg said on the sidelines of a summit of EU environment ministers in Brussels on Monday.

Speaking with her Austrian counterpart Elisabeth Kostinger, Dieschbourg said it was important to prevent a renaissance of nuclear energy and that no public money should be invested in nuclear energy.

In February, Austria‘s environment ministry said the country would lodge an appeal with the European Court of Justice over the Paks upgrade.

“The European Commission is sending the wrong message in energy policy if it approves state aid given to nuclear power plant construction without hesitation,” the ministry said.

The EC cleared the Paks project, which is being financed with Russian credit, in the spring of 2017.

The EC’s spokesman for competition said the EU’s executive body would defend its approval of the Paks upgrade in court, fielding a question from a journalist at a daily press conference in Brussels on Monday.

“Yes indeed, we of course will go to court and we will defend our decision, as we would expect,” said Ricardo Cardoso.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI