Greenpeace and other NGOs said on Tuesday, March 16, that later the same day they would present their case against Slovakia regarding completion of the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant (Nitra Region) before the United Nations Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee in Geneva.
Greenpeace spokesperson Lucia Szabová told the TASR newswire that the NGOs accuse Slovakia of using a construction licence for the completion of Mochovce's third and fourth reactor blocks dating back to 1986 even though the country's Nuclear Supervision Office gave the go-ahead to alterations to the project only in 2008. They also claim that Slovakia has prevented the public from intervening in the procedure, which they say flies in the face of international pledges. Slovakia is being represented by the Nuclear Supervision Office, electricity utility Slovenské Elektrárne, the Environment Ministry and mayors from the environs of the Mochovce plant.
The Aarhus Committee goes into session once every three months to discuss between one and three complaints that are deemed relevant on the grounds of suspected breaches of the convention. Committee decisions are legally binding, and carry the highest international weight, and may require that Slovakia corrects certain mistakes by restarting assessment and licensing procedures, for example. In the worst case, Slovakia could be taken to the European Court of Justice by the European Commission or any member state. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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