Baltic States – CIS, Energy, EU – Baltic States, Lithuania

To this end, Lithuanian Energy Minister Rokas Masiulis has invited the economy and energy ministers of Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Finland to discuss purchase of electricity from third countries building nuclear facilities that are considered unsafe.

“The clear signal must be sent that electricity, which is produced by violating international regulations on nuclear safety, security and trans-boundary environmental impact assessment, which are not be accepted by the EU. Therefore, it is necessary without any delay to discuss this issue in depth, primarily on the regional and ultimately on the EU level, and develop solutions necessary to ensure a level playing field for electricity trade with these countries,” a letter sent by Masiulis on Dec. 23 said.

According to the minister, the nuclear power facilities under construction in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region and in Belarus posed threats to the environment and created unfair competition in the market for electricity.

“One question must be approached with great attention: the electricity trade with third countries taking into account the ongoing or planned dubious nuclear power plant constructions in Belarus and Kaliningrad Region – just on the borders of the EU. These projects are being implemented under essentially different regulatory and political conditions and pose a number of critical threats in terms of nuclear and environmental safety as well as unfair competition of electricity production to the neighboring EU countries,” Masiulis said in the letter.

Lithuania has repeatedly questioned the safety of the nuclear power plant being built near the town of Astravyets, Belarus, at a distance of meager 50 kilometers from Vilnius. Masiulis said in December that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia could agree on a tax system, which would help prevent the supply of electricity from the Astravyets nuclear power plant in Belarus to the three Baltic countries.

He then said that the countries should consider this option if the construction of the nuclear facility in the neighboring country continued in disregard for international requirements.