Environmental Ministry tries to discriminate access to Greenpeace

14 February 2005 (Sofia / Vienna), The international environmental organisation Greenpeace has joined Bulgarian court proceedings against the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment on the Belene Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria. It argues that the procedure has been manipulated, that vital data are missing and important analyses not have been carried out. In reaction to the Greenpeace appeal, the Bulgarian authorities have tried to expell Greenpeace from court access by manipulating formal arguments.

"Obviously, the Bulgarian authorities are afraid for objective challenges of the decision procedure around the Belene nuclear power plant. They now try to silence opposition with far fetched formalities," comments Jan Haverkamp, consultant for nuclear energy issues in Central Europe for Greenpeace.

The reasons

The Greenpeace submission was not accepted because the header of the letter that confirmed the authorisation for the appeal was headed with the word ’Confirmation’ instead of ’Authorization’. Haverkamp added: "Other organisations and persons were not attacked on these formalities. It is clear that Greenpeace is seen as a threat to the project, and I would say, rightly so. Belene is economically and environmentally a bad project that needs to be halted." Mr. Alexander Kodjabashev, attorney of Greenpeace in the case, remarked: "This is a highly uncommon case. I am a bit ashamed that in my country - an accession country to the European Union - such practices can happen."

Greenpeace has joined a number of other appeals against the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment. Amongst those submitting appeals were:

 Ekoglasnost / Friends of the Earth Bulgaria,
 The World Information Service on Energy (WISE),
 The Bulgarian Centre for Environmental Information and Education,
 the organisation of local inhabitants near the site of the Belene NPP ’Earth Forever’ and
 individual experts and citizens.

The Environmental Impact Assessment was manipulated?

Greenpeace argues that the Environmental Impact Assessment was manipulated. An investigation in October 2004 revealed amongst others the provision of false information during hearings, inadequate provision of information to participants in the process, and even attempts to overshadow critique in a hearing by bussing in employees of the electricity company [1].

On 27 May 2004, the government took a decision to build the Belene NPP in the middle of the ongoing Environmental Impact Assessment, giving the impression to critics that it made no sense to pass information anymore. This decision was challenged in still ongoing court procedures by Ekoglasnost / Friends of the Earth Bulgaria, WISE and Greenpeace.

Greenpeace also criticizes the content of the EIA assessments, which amongst others do not sufficiently investigate the risks in case of earthquakes and extreme weather circumstances. The EIA furthermore does not address at all the consequences of very large accidents. Also did the Bulgarian government not actively inform surrounding countries with the exception of Romania about the project [2] [3]. Against prescribed praxis under Bulgarian law, requests for information from the side of Greenpeace and WISE were repeatedly not answered [4]. Greenpeace and WISE therefore demanded that the Ministry of Environment and Water of Bulgaria would not to approve the Environmental Impact Assessment. In spite of this, the Minster approved the Assessment on 22 November 2004.

Haverkamp: "Bulgaria does not need nuclear power at all. We hope that our appeals in court will force the Bulgarian government to reconsider its energy policy."