The European Commission (EC) is expected to present its statement concerning safety of the completion works of the third and fourth units of the Nuclear Power Plant in Mochovce (EMO) in a few months. The European Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs stated at a press conference at the European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) in Bratislava on Monday that the EC is currently evaluating the EMO completion works. "However, eventually the construction will be approved by the Slovak Nuclear Supervision Office," added Mr. Piebalgs. According to him, the EC will only issue a statement determining whether the completion is safe or not.
"We are expecting a statement from the European Commission soon," said Juraj Kopriva, the spokesperson of the Slovak dominant power producer Slovenske Elektrarne, a.s. , for SITA. Slovenske Elektrarne (SE), which is carrying out the completion works on EMO, is doing extra work with regard to evaluation of safety of the works, said Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek. "SE is getting additional expert assessment of the completion works of these units, although it can continue the project in line with the already issued construction permit," Mr. Jahnatek added. He, however admitted that if a suspicion arises that completion of the nuclear power plant is unsafe, "a different solution will be adopted immediately".
According to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, construction of nuclear reactors in Slovakia will provide cheap energy for the people. "We are in a strange situation, as for Slovak citizens, electric energy is, in relation to [their] incomes much more expensive than in surrounding countries, countries that established the European Union, " stated Prime Minister Fico.
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