VOKA DEMANDS NUCLEAR RETHINK
[BIZ/INFRA: Hasselt, August 22] The employers’ organization (Voka) was responding to a decision of the European Court of Justice, which insures that competition on the high-voltage network between France and Belgium is able to develop. An important part of the network capacity that had been reserved for holders of long-term contracts has been released. Freer import of French power will mean less of a monopoly in the power market and the import capacity at Belgium’s southern border will be increased. This is good news, in Voka’s view, because it can lead to lower electricity prices. However, on the other hand, the more rapid import of French nuclear energy highlights the hypocrisy of Belgian plans to cease producing nuclear power in 2015. [This was a decision largely forced by the Belgian green parties when they were in the ascendant. Ed]. The federal government is sticking to the exit scenario. Although an increasing number of European countries are thinking aloud about retaining nuclear power and reinvesting in it, Belgium continues to stick to its nuclear power generation ban. In the meantime, it is ensured that nuclear power from abroad, in this case from France, will continue to flow into Belgium. Voka calls this a shortsighted and hypocritical standpoint and points to its many social and economic disadvantages. Not building a new nuclear plant is in fact throwing away a EUR 2.4bn-investment for each power plant and hundreds of jobs. For Philippe Muyters, this is entirely unacceptable. Voka demands a review of this policy.
Voka, the Flemish Business Association has asked the Belgian Federal Government to review its decision to abandon nuclear power by 2015. “We are going to import nuclear power, but we don’t want to have any power plants on our own territory”, said Philippe Muyters, the President of Voka. He called this attitude hypocritical and shortsighted. “At the same time, we will be throwing economic prospects and hundreds of jobs overboard”, was his comment in a Voka press release.
http://www.voka.be/