Nuclear decommissioning assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania (Ignalina programme)

The European Parliament adopted by 569 votes to 17, with 32 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania (Ignalina programme) and repealing Council Regulation (EU) No 1369/2013.

Parliament approved the Commission proposal subject to the following amendments:

Objectives

Members clarified the programme’s general objective as being to adequately assist Lithuania in safely implementing Ignalina nuclear power plant decommissioning. This would include the safety of the interim spent fuel storage.

It assigns as the programme’s complementary objective to ensure broad dissemination in all Member States of the generated knowledge on nuclear decommissioning. This complementary objective shall be funded by the financial assistance programme for decommissioning of nuclear facilities and management of radioactive waste.

Budget

Although the Commission proposed to set the financial envelope for the implementation of the Programme over the period 2021-2027 at EUR 552 million expressed in current prices, Parliament proposed to increase the financial envelope to EUR 780 million expressed in current prices for the implementation of the main objective of the Programme (decommissioning activities).

Taking into account the findings of the Commission's 2018 report on the evaluation and implementation of EU nuclear decommissioning assistance programmes in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania, as well as Lithuania's political commitment to contribute 14% of the total cost of decommissioning, the EU co-financing rate, Members proposed that the overall EU co-financing rate applicable under the programme be 86% (compared to 80% proposed by the Commission).

Scope

Parliament proposed for the safe handling and storage of spent nuclear fuel to be upgraded to the category of a critical nuclear safety issue (in contrast to the category of “lesser challenges” in the Commission’s proposal).

Members proposed that while the disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste in a deep geological repository is excluded from the scope of the programme over the 2021-2027 period, Lithuania and the EU should begin, in due time, consultations regarding the potential inclusion of those activities in the scope of the programme under the subsequent Multiannual Financial Framework.

Lastly, Parliament recalled that it should be an ethical obligation for each Member State to avoid any undue burden on future generations in respect of spent fuel and radioactive waste, including any radioactive waste expected from decommissioning of existing nuclear installations. National policies have to be based on the ‘polluter pays’ principle.