Posted on 28-5-2002

Finnish Greens Resign Over New Nuclear Power Plant
From ens-news.com/ens Photo shows Satu Hassi

HELSINKI, Finland, May 27, 2002 (ENS) - Finland's Green Environment
Minister Satu Hassi today resigned in protest at Friday's parliamentary
vote in favor of constructing a new nuclear power station. Hassi's party
voted Sunday to quit the coalition government, leaving Greens participating
in just two European Union governments, down from four just a month ago. In
the run-up to elections due in nine months time, the Finnish Green Party
will now campaign in favor of renewables and higher energy taxes, a
political advisor to Hassi told reporters.

Hassi became environment minister in April 1999, replacing another Green.
While in office she made strong efforts to support international agreement
on the Kyoto climate protocol. Hassi also promoted adoption of
eco-efficiency goals.

Finland's parliament Friday backed in principle the construction of a new
nuclear power station, marking the first such approval in Europe for over a
decade and bucking a trend towards phasing out nuclear power in several
other EU countries including Germany and Sweden. In a free vote, MPs
approved the government proposal by 107 to 92. Nuclear power alone is not
sufficient to restrain greenhouse gas emissions, Finland's industry
ministry said, but is an important element. MPs agreed that Finnish
policies aimed at compliance with the Kyoto climate protocol should also
include support for renewable energy and energy conservation measures.

Under parliament's resolution, power firm TVO now has five years to apply
for a construction permit for what would be Finland's fifth nuclear power
station. Before reaching this stage, it will have to decide between two
possible sites on which to build the plant.

Finland's nuclear decision has sparked strong reactions from across Europe.
EU Energy Commissioner Loyola de Palacio got involved, praising Finland's
energy and nuclear waste policies and repeating her view that nuclear power
has a vital role to play in maintaining European energy security.For the
European nuclear energy lobby Foratom, parliament's decision "clearly
recognized the economic and environmental advantages of nuclear."

Finland's energy industry federation, Finergy, described it as a "correct
decision" that would "facilitate the achievement of national climate
objectives." But for the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, the
vote meant parliament had "rejected sustainable development" and delivered
a "severe backlash to the environment." The Greens in the European
parliament also expressed disappointment, saying the decision "defies all
international trends. "It is a total illusion to assume that the climate
problem could be solved with nuclear power," the Greens said in a
statement. "If nuclear energy use was to be doubled from the current seven
percent in the world during the next 25 years, one new nuclear plant would
have to be built every week. This would of course produce equally immense
safety risks and nuclear waste problems."