Austrian Federal Chancellor Faymann: Nuclear Power is no innovative technology and therefore should not be subsidised.

Today the Federal Chancellor Office Constitutional Service hands over the complaint against the nuclear power station Hinkley Point to the European Court

Vienna (original press release) – Today, Monday, the Constitutional Service submitted a complaint to the European Court (EuC) against the decision of the European Commission of 8 October 2014, according to which the British Government is allowed to subsidise the construction of the nuclear power plants Hinkley Point. “Subsidies are there to support new and modern technologies that are in the general interest of all EU-states. Nuclear power does not in any way fulfil that,” underlined
Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann the Austrian position.

Austria especially fights the argumentation of the European Commission, according to which the subsidy would help to support the development of a branch of the economy. “The state guaranteed purchase price over a time of 35 years, the British state credit guarantee of up to 17 Billion British Pound and the compensation in the case of early closure of the installation contradict in our view the criteria for state aid approval”, stressed Faymann.

Even when nuclear energy could contribute to decarbonisation, it is undisputed that the total environmental impact of nuclear power plants is negative. Therefore, in contrary to renewable energy sources, the generation of nuclear electricity has until now not been incorporated into the environmental and energy state aid guidelines of the European Commission. “Nuclear power plants are dangerous, expensive, and, in comparison with the technologies of the future like wind and solar energy, neither economically nor ecologically competitive,” the Federal Chancellor underlined.

On 8 October 2014, the European Commission declared the support measures for the British nuclear power station Hinkley Point C as compatible with the state aid rules for the internal market.

On 28 April 2015, this state aid decision was published in the Official Journal of the EU. At the basis of today’s submitted action for annulment against the European Commission decision stands a decision of the Austrian Parliament that was supported by all parties, and a decision from the Council of Ministers of 22 June 2015.

Further information and contact:
 Susanne Enk
 Cabinet of the Federal Chancellor
 Tel.: +43 1 531 15-202732, +43 664 511 89 07