11 months ago
1710
After helping to halt the introduction of a new taxonomy in the UK, which would have further favoured wasteful investment into new nuclear, the UK / Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities have joined European anti-nuclear groups in co-signing a letter to Ministers in Austria and Luxembourg urging them to appeal a recent retrograde ruling by the European Court of Justice.
The NFLAs have several member authorities in the Republic of Ireland, and a close tie with partners, Cities for a Nuclear Free Europe, so have an ongoing interest in nuclear developments in the European Union.
The European anti-nuclear movement is deeply concerned about the dismissal of the lawsuit
concerning the Taxonomy Regulation, which Austria, with the support of Luxembourg, had filed against the European Commission, arguing that the Court of Justice of the European Union had in its ruling been unfairly predisposed to accepting the arguments put forward by the nuclear industry. European partners are asking Ministers to appeal the decision.
As an organisation with an international outlook, in a solidarity gesture the NFLAs have been keen to endorse the appeal.
Other organisations wishing to show support can add their signatures by emailing their support with name, organisation and nationality to mga.frf@gmail.com by 21st October latest.
Ends://..For more information please email NFLA Secretary Richard Outram at richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk
Photo – Credit: Court of Justice of the European Union.
The draft letter to the Ministers reads:
Norbert Totschnig – Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management | Austria
Serge Wilmes – Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity | Luxembourg
Subject: Appeal to urge against the dismissal of the lawsuit concerning the Taxonomy Regulation
Dear Federal Minister Totschnig,
Dear Minister Wilmes,
Like you, the European anti-nuclear movement is deeply concerned about the dismissal of the lawsuit concerning the Taxonomy Regulation, which Austria, with the support of Luxembourg, had filed against the European Commission.
In our view, the Court of Justice of the European Union argues in its ruling in a way that is typical only of the nuclear lobby. To name just a few of the typical tactics used by the industry to justify nuclear power:
- The complete disregard of all upstream and downstream processes, such as uranium mining, processing, refining, conversion and enrichment, fuel element production, their transport, and the disposal and final storage of spent radioactive material, including the decommissioning of nuclear power plants.
- Dismissing the glaring weaknesses of nuclear power plants, which become apparent in thecontext of rapidly advancing climate change, as speculative – for example, droughts, floods, severe storms, wildfires, etc.
- Advocating the narrative that nuclear energy has a “life cycle”, which implies a closed loop, whereas nuclear fission does not have such a loop – rather, the long process is more like a one-way street, which, at worst, leads to acts of war.
Furthermore, the court ruling completely undermines the “Do No Significant Harm” principle, which the European Commission itself formulated by including nuclear power and fossil gas. It is no coincidence that the two relevant committees of the European Parliament, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, opposed the inclusion of nuclear power and fossil gas in the Taxonomy Regulation before the disastrous European Parliament decision of July 2022.
We therefore urge you to appeal this outrageous and biased ruling within the stipulated timeframe.
The case concerning the Paks nuclear power plant, which was also contested by Austria, has at least demonstrated that legal challenges can indeed be successful!
