EU Audit Office to Unveil Report on Kozloduy N-Plant Funding

The European Court of Auditors is set to publish its report on the use of EU funding by Kozloduy Nuclear power plant (NPP) in northern Bulgaria.

The document is to establish what progress Bulgaria has made in decommissioning the units and managing the radioactive waste. It will also contain a forecast about whether the funding disbursed will be sufficient.

Kozloduy NPP has been allocated some EUR 800 over the past years to decommission four of its units - a decision taken in line with EU requirements during Bulgaria's accession talks back in the 2000s.

The funding is earmarked for decommissioning activities carried out by 2020.

Kozloduy NPP's four (out of six) units belong in the list of eight Soviet-made reactors in three Eastern European power plants (Bohunice NPP in Slovakia and Ignalina NPP in Lithuania) that Brussels considered to be outdated during membership negotiations.

Sofia received financial compensations in return. Critics of the decision argued the commitment to shut down the reactors was an infringement on Bulgaria's sovereignty and energy security.