"The lifetime extensions of nuclear units in Belgium" by Eloi Glorieux, Greenpeace Belgium CONFERENCE “Public participation in the nuclear sector” – The Espoo and Aarhus conventions http://www.nuclear-transparency-watch.eu/a-la-une/conference-public-participation-in-the-nuclear-sector-the-espoo-and-aarhus-conventions.html

1. Public Participation in the Nuclear Sector:
the ESPOO and AARHUS Conventions
- a Civil Society Point of View -
Conference organised by NTW and Bankwatch,
European Parliament, Brussels, 30 March 2017
Case-study :
the lifetime extension of
Doel 1&2 and Tihange 1
How the Belgian government ignored the
Espoo and Aarhus Conventions
Eloi Glorieux, Senior Energy Campaigner Greenpeace Belgium

2. 2003 : Nuclear Phase-out Law
“All commercial
nuclear reactors
must close, at
the latest, after
40 years of
operation”

3. Reactor Type Capacity Start Closure
Doel 1 PWR 433 MWe 1975 20152025
Doel 2 PWR 433 MWe 1975 20152025
Doel 3 PWR 1006 MWe 1982 2022
Doel 4 PWR 1047 MWe 1985 2025
Tihange 1 PWR 962 MWe 1975 20152025
Tihange 2 PWR 1008 MWe 1983 2023
Tihange 3 PWR 1054 MWe 1985 2025
Total (7) 5943 MWe

4. Belgium signed and ratified the
Aarhus and Espoo Conventions
Report of the Espoo Implementation Committee to
the 25th session :
“(…),the Committee reached a consensus that the
extension of the life-time of a nuclear power
plant, even in absence of any works, was to be
considered as a major change to an activity and
consequently subject to the provisions of the
Convention.”

5. Governments Di Rupo and Michel forced life-time
extensions of Tihange 1 and Doel 1&2 without any EIA
or crossborder public consultation
FANC advised minister how to by-pass the
international treaty obligations
- “Operation licence is unlimited in time”
 Not correct: 2003 phase-out law limited
operation license to 40 years (i.e. 2015 for T1,
D1&2)
- “No substantial works are needed”
 Plex upgrading cost € 700 mln for T1 and € 600
mln for D1&2
 Not the plex-upgrades, but the extended life-
time itself is subject to EIA and public consultation

6. Advises Council of State
(Supreme Administrative Court)
Advise 8/5/2015
on plex D1&2
“The opinion of the Council of
State (…) is that the currently
developed regulation [to plex
D1&2] is a final decission in
the sense of art.6 of the
Espoo Convention and can
only take place after the
obligations of the Convention
are fullfilled”
Advise 11/6/2015
on plex D1&2
“The conclusion is that the in
both treaties [Espoo and
Aarhus] included obligations
concerning public
consultation and
environmental impact
assessment, must be
respected with regard to the
decission by the legislator to
extend the life-time of nuclear
power reactors”

7. Despite heated debates in the parliament:
Minister Marghem, supported by FANC,
exhalts herself above god and law. Plex-law
passed without EIA or crossborder public
consultation

8. Mayors of Aachen and Maastricht
are bypassed

9. The civil society in Belgium and
neighbouring countries feels
concerned, but is ignored

10. 15000 football fans watch
Alemannia Aachen – FC Köln
in STOP TIHANGE outfit

11. Several law cases by civil society
actors to enforce the requirements of
the Espoo and Aarhus Conventions
Legal complaints :
-the Civil Court
-the Council of State
-the Constitutional Court
 final verdicts expected soon

12. Why do the
government, the
nuclear regulator and
the nuclear plant
operator oppose to an
Environmental Impact
Assessment and a
Crossborder Public
Consultation?
What do they have to
hide?
What are they afraid
of?