EU plans for nuclear power: Austria threatens to take legal action
Status: 02.01.2022 4:10 p.m.
The EU Commission wants to classify nuclear power as a green energy source – and thus meets with resolute resistance. Austria is threatened with legal action. But the chances of preventing the classification are slim.
The EU Commission’s plans to classify nuclear power and natural gas as green energy sources are met with strong opposition in Austria. “The EU Commission took a step towards greenwashing nuclear power and fossil gas yesterday in a night and fog action,” criticized the Austrian climate protection minister Leonore Gewessler. The Green politician threatened to file a lawsuit if the two energy sources were to be included in the so-called taxonomy of the EU.
“The time of publication alone shows that the EU Commission is obviously not convinced of its decision either,” said Gewessler. “For Austria, however, it is very clear: Neither nuclear power nor the burning of fossil natural gas have lost anything in the taxonomy.” “Harmful to the climate and the environment and destroy the future of our children”.
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Draft regulation on New Years Eve
The Brussels authority had sent its draft regulation on the so-called taxonomy to the governments of the 27 EU member states on New Year’s Eve. Gewessler announced that the government in Vienna would “examine the text carefully in the coming days”. Accordingly, she has already commissioned a comprehensive legal opinion from the renowned law firm Redeker Sellner Dahs on nuclear power in taxonomy. “We will not shy away from taking legal action against the planned taxonomy ordinance,” assured Gewessler.
“Because nuclear power is a technology of the past whose danger to humans and the environment has been clearly documented,” argued the minister. “It is too expensive and too slow to help us fight the climate crisis. It has no future.”
There is also sharp criticism from environmental associations in Austria: The organization “Atomstopp Oberösterreich” not only considers nuclear power to be far too dangerous, says Gabriele Schweiger: “Above all, nuclear power is also far too expensive. So that would tie up enormous sums of money. We need it Renewables, we need energy efficiency, we need storage technology and this money will be deducted if we now include the insanely expensive nuclear power. “
Many states are in favor of the classification
The EU Commission said that the proposal refers to different starting points in the present cases. The proposed classification of energy sources will be reviewed every three years. That is why France in particular insisted on the classification of nuclear energy, which affects a large part of its electricity from nuclear power plants. Poland and other eastern countries that want to use nuclear power to improve their carbon footprint are also in favor.
On the other hand, the former German government had insisted on the status of gas as a transition technology. The coalition agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP also provides for the construction of new gas-fired power plants if these can be converted for later hydrogen use.
The EU Commission’s plan can be prevented if at least 20 EU states come together, representing at least 65 percent of the total population of the EU, or at least 353 members of the EU Parliament. This is considered to be unlikely, since, besides Germany, only countries such as Austria, Luxembourg, Denmark and Portugal are clearly against the inclusion of nuclear power.
With information from Silke Hahne, ARD-Studio Vienna
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