Policy Paper (Speech[FČ1] )

Set up

Valiantsina Atroshkina, Autumn 2017

The Law on Necessary Measures against the Threats Posed by Unsafe Nuclear Power Plants in the third
countries (Lithuanian: Seimas ypatingos skubos tvarka priėmė Būtinųjų priemonių, skirtų apsisaugoti
nuo trečiųjų šalių nesaugių branduolinių elektrinių keliamų grėsmių įstatymą, projektas
Nr. XIIP-4639(2))[1].

The Seimas of Lithuania adopted the Law on Necessary Measures against the Threats Posed by Unsafe
Nuclear Power Plants in Third Countries issued 20 April 2017. The law lays down general principles,
conditions and stages of protection of the Lithuanian electricity system and electricity market
against electricity from third countries that have unsafe nuclear power plants, assessing threats
they pose to Lithuania’s national security, environment and public health. According to the Seimas,
an unsafe nuclear power plant means any nuclear power plant under construction or operation in a
neighbouring third country that is designed, installed or operated in violation of environmental,
nuclear safety and radiation protection standards, international agreements, and international
conventions and poses[FČ2] , due to its geographical location or technological characteristics. The
Law determines that the Lithuanian electricity market should be closed for electricity from third
countries that have unsafe nuclear power plants.

The main claims to the Republic of Belarus, on the basis of the Law, could be defined as follows -
discontinuation of the construction of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant in Astravets (hereafter
referred to as the Belarusian NPP) without delay, based on the noncompliance of the project with
international environmental and nuclear safety standards, the lack of experience of a nuclear
safety inspectorate and construction companies, permanent manipulations with international
instruments and public opinion in Belarus and its neighbouring countries. As well as the claims
that could be deemed as the most essential – the absence of proof of radiological impact assessment
under normal operation and in emergency situations, no evidence of acceptably low level risk of
exposure of the population to the harmful effects of ionising radiation in the event of an
accident, the loss of proper assessment of the possible seismic and other natural risks,
furthermore, no evidence provided that the Belarusian NPP site was selected in accordance with
International Atomic Energy Agency (hereafter referred to as IAEA) safety requirements.


Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus (Russian:
Министерство природных ресурсов и озраны окружающей среды Республики Беларусь).

The Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry of the Republic of Belarus is a
national state administration body in charge of exploitation of natural resources and environmental
protection, pursuing the state ecology policy. The main areas of activities of the Ministry are the
following – pursuing unified state policies in the area of environmental protection; international
cooperation, analysis and climate control; state management of examination, protection and rational
use of natural resources; coordination of activities of other governmental agencies, local
executive and regulatory bodies, organizations involved in ensuring ecological safety, etc.

The last decade in connection with the adoption of state laws, programs and decrees the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environmental Protection was set in charge of maintaining and providing
ecological security and environmental compliance throughout all phases of preparation and design
works, construction and operation of the Belarusian NPP. As well as in cooperation with other
nuclear-related organizations and experts, its main function is to ensure a normal operation of the
NPP, whereby the population and equally its natural environment are absolutely protected from the
radiation influence rendered by the NPP, taking into consideration the need for overcoming the
consequences of the Chernobyl accident that is still a matter of great importance for the Republic
of Belarus.

The additional session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Espoo Convention

The Espoo (Environmental Impact Assessment hereafter referred to as EIA) Convention sets out the
obligations of Parties to assess the environmental impact of certain activities at an early stage
of planning. It lays down the general obligation of States to notify and consult each other on all
major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental
impact across boundaries. So on behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental
Protection, I would like to represent the Republic of Belarus (a member of the Espoo Convention)
during the additional session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Espoo Convention, that will take
place in late 2018-early 2019 in Geneva, as an energy and environment advisor of the Belarusian
NPP[FČ3] . The speech, delivered before the participants of the meeting, will be aimed at
reassuring the representatives of Lithuania to reconsider their security policy, as well as at
ensuring that nuclear and radiation safety of the Astravets NPP is in line with the recommendations
of IAEA. It should be pointed out that the previous session that was held in Minsk 13-16 June, 2017
left these issues unresolved for the Lithuanian representatives (comments and claims are introduced
above). At the same time, the aforecited law and prohibition of exportation of energy produced by
the Belarusian NPP to the Baltic neighbors can lead to the crisis of overproduction of energy and
necessity of the consumption growth inside the borders, undermining the economy of the Republic of
Belarus and jeopardizing the existence of the Belarusian NPP. [FČ4]

= interesting case. What is missing is a better specification what issues/problems will be
addressed in your speech. Are you to tackle all objections Lithuanian policy-makers have?
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[1] Retrieved from: http://www.lrs.lt/sip/portal.show?p_r=119&p_k=2&p_t=172006

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 [FČ1]Interesting format. Looking forward to read it.

 [FČ2]Poses what?

 [FČ3]I do not know the internal structure of the energy sector in Belarus and what is the
relationship between government (ministry) and company operating the NPP. But still, may
representative of the power plant speak on behalf of the ministry of the country?

 [FČ4]I do not see the relevance of this for the speech. Lithuanian representatives are supposedly
afraid of the NPP, thus their concerns should be addressed. The fact that NPP could cause
overproduction in Belarus is not helping your case; actually it is another reason for them why not
to commission the plant.