Seimas adopted a Resolution on the threat posed by the events in Belarus to Europe’s nuclear safety

Press release, 23 September 2020

Being aware that in the midst of growing political tension in Belarus, in the absence of public and expert control, despite the failure to act by nuclear safety supervisory authorities, regardless of the failure to comply with international nuclear safety requirements, and notwithstanding the protests of employees working in the nuclear facility construction, the illegal start-up of the nuclear power plant is still secretly underway, the Seimas calls on the Belarusian state nuclear safety institutions to immediately stop the preparatory work for the operation of the nuclear power plant.

In the adopted Resolution, the Seimas requests the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) to take all measures to stop the start of the operation of the reactors of the Astravyets nuclear power plant until all doubts regarding its construction and its operational conformity with international nuclear safety requirements are allayed.

The Resolution expresses concern about the continued persecution and illegal detention of Belarusian public figures seeking publicity on the construction of the Astravyets nuclear power plant, including the detention on 7 September 2020 of Irina Suchij, one of the most competent experts of the Aarhus Convention, who was subsequently imprisoned for five days in Belarus, and calls for the immediate release of illegally detained persons and for the damage caused to them to be duly compensated.

‘Both the site selection procedures and construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant do not meet international nuclear safety standards. On 30 July 2020, the Belarusian authorities changed the legal regulation of nuclear safety by opening the way for operation of nuclear installations that do not comply with international safety standards,’ the Resolution states.

The Seimas calls on the European Union to approve as soon as possible Lithuania’s principal position regarding the non-access of this electricity to the markets of the Member States of the European Union. The Resolution draws attention to the fact that when implementing the Law on Necessary Measures of Protection Against the Threats Posed by Unsafe Nuclear Power Plants In Third Countries, electricity from Belarus is prevented from entering the electricity market of the Republic of Lithuania both directly and through the Nord Pool Spot Latvia bidding area.

The Seimas Resolution was unanimously supported by 72 Members of the Seimas.

Rimas Rudaitis, Chief Specialist, Press Office, Information and Communication Department

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