Briefing 
 

MEPs to request that the launch of Belarus nuclear plant be suspended 

In a debate and vote on Thursday, MEPs are set to voice serious concerns over the safety of the Ostrovets nuclear plant in Belarus.

The draft resolution highlights many concerns about the Ostrovets nuclear plant being hastily commissioned, and the persistent lack of transparency and official information regarding the frequent emergency shutdowns of the reactor and equipment failure.


Despite outstanding safety concerns, the plant started to generate electricity on 3 November 2020 without fully implementing recommendations made in the 2018 EU peer review and by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), MEPs say.


Background


The Ostrovets nuclear plant, built by Russian group Rosatom, is located 50 km from Vilnius (Lithuania) and at close proximity to other EU countries such as Poland, Latvia and Estonia.


Electricity stopped being traded between Belarus and the EU on 3 November when the Ostrovets plant was connected to the electricity grid. This followed the August 2020 joint decision of the Baltic States to cease commercial exchanges of electricity with Belarus once the Ostrovets plant started operating.

Procedure: Oral question to the Commission

2021/2511(RSP)

Debate/vote: Thursday 11 February