Finland-Russia/nuclear power
Decision to build new reactor wrong on all fronts
Commenting on the decision of the Finnish Green Party to withdraw from government over plans to construct a new nuclear reactor, Philippe Lamberts and Rebecca Harms, co-presidents of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, said:
"It is very regrettable that the Finnish government is again looking to a technology of the past for its energy future, despite all the problems it has had with nuclear power over the recent past. The decision to build a new nuclear reactor is wrong; with a Russian partner, it is even worse.
"Pursuing this project with a Russian partner sends a totally wrong political signal at a time when the European Union is applying sanctions on Russia for its role in fomenting military and political unrest in Ukraine. The EU and its member states should be looking to diversify away from our damaging dependence on Russian energy.
"Nuclear power remains a risky technology, with no solution for nuclear waste and massive costs for building new nuclear reactors. What we need is a forward-looking energy policy that is not based on an outdated and risky technology but on sustainable, home-grown renewable energy and energy efficiency."
