VILNIUS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission (EC) is proposing to allocate 678 million euros (786 million U.S. dollars) for the decommissioning of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania for 2028-2034, the Energy Ministry said on Thursday.
"The proposed 678 mln euros allocation for the next seven years corresponds with the objective needs of the project and ensures a smooth and safe dismantling process," Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said in the statement.
According to the minister, active steps are being made to ensure that the European Union (EU) funding is allocated for the protection of energy infrastructure in the Baltic states and Poland, seeking the establishment of a dedicated funding instrument or specific budget line within the EU budget for the protection and resilience of critical energy infrastructure.
"I cannot imagine a scenario in which the EU would not allocate funding for the protection and resilience of critical energy infrastructure -- in such a case, the EU would not be prepared for the new challenges we are already facing," Vaiciunas said, according to the Baltic News Service (BNS).
On Wednesday, the EC presented the bloc's draft budget for 2028-2034, aimed at boosting competitiveness, supporting Ukraine and satisfying the traditional beneficiaries of European money such as farmers.
The EU has already allocated around 1.3 billion euros for the Ignalina plant decommissioning since 2007.
Lithuania agreed to shut down the Ignalina NPP as part of its accession agreement to the EU in 2004 as the Soviet era reactors were judged to be unsafe to operate within the European bloc. The plant should be fully offline by 2038. (1 euro = 1.16 U.S. dollar) ■
