Greenpeace and Bankwatch have addressed an open letter to President Yanukovych urging him to veto a law which allows the construction of two new nuclear reactors at the Khmelnytski Nuclear Power Plant. They express concern on behalf of millions of European citizens who have been deprived the right enshrined in the Espoo Convention to full participation in discussion of this dangerous project.

They point out that consultation with neighbouring countries in accordance with Espoo procedure had not ended when the Verkhovna Rada on 6 September adopted Law No. 11088 on Reactors 3 and 4, Iryna Holovko, spokesperson for Bankwatch in Ukraine explains. “The President can still stop such a flagrant violation by Ukraine of its international commitments if he does not sign this law”.

No less concern in the European community is aroused by the fact that the draft law, in infringement of Ukraine’s legislation, has not undergone a State environmental impact assessment making it possible to assess the risks and impact of the planned construction. Such a negligent attitude to the planning and risk assessment of nuclear energy plans is unacceptable in the world which is still bearing the consequences of the disasters at the Chornobyl and Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants.

When the Verkhovna Rada ignores international conventions on issues of nuclear energy, this is a worrying symptom of how unacceptably little attention is given to assessing risks linked with the use of such dangerous technology, Jan Haverkamp from Greenpeace notes.