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Ukraine’s nuclear programme and the Espoo Convention – letter to the Convention’s Implementation Committee

Publication  |  August 1, 2016

Espoo bodies sent several specific recommendations concerning its non-compliance with the Espoo Convention to Ukraine. Nonetheless Ukraine seems to be either ignoring those or taking insufficient steps towards compliance. Therefore Bankwatch summarises the state-of-play in this letter and asks the Implementation Committee to consider a number of steps to ensure the Convention’s requirements are properly met by Ukraine.

Does European financing facilitate the implementation of the Espoo convention in nuclear-energy related activities? Experience from Ukraine.

Publication  |  May 9, 2014

Public finance can play a role in ensuring nuclear safety and the transparency and accountability of government decisions related to nuclear energy by encouraging governments to fully apply Espoo procedures at earlier stages of the programme or plan and to provide more information about loan conditionalities. However, only a limited positive effect has been seen in Ukraine due in part to a lack of transparency by the financial institutions and to the selective application of convention requirements.

Letter to EBRD: Espoo Convention confirms Ukraine’s non-compliance with Ukraine’s international obligations regarding nuclear reactors’ lifetime-extensions

Publication  |  April 22, 2013

The Implementation Committee under the Espoo Convention concluded in March 2013 that the extension of the life-times of two nuclear reactor units at the Rivne NPP are a case of non-compliance with Ukraine’s international obligations. The two units are part of a, EBRD financed project and got their life-time extensions in 2010 without preparing an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and with no information provided to potentially affected neighbouring states.

Ukraine nuclear lifetime extensions require impact assessment in compliance with Aarhus and Espoo convention

Publication  |  August 18, 2015

On several occasions the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development stated that operations of its clients should comply with all international treaties and other legal obligations. In spite of these reassurances, Energoatom in Ukraine keeps ignoring its international obligations, as outlined in the Espoo Convention, in the processes of assessing the life-time extension of its nuclear reactors.

Aarhus and Espoo Conventions in the EBRD’s Draft Environmental and Social Policy (Bankwatch statement)

Publication  |  February 27, 2014

The EBRD’s current Environmental and Social Policy requires the bank to act in accordance with principles of international law on access to environmental information and participation in decision-making on issues that may have negative transboundary impacts on the environment. The new draft policy, however, transfers responsibility for meeting these commitments from the EBRD to the client.

Ukraine’s nuclear expansion plans under fire from UN body, EBRD ‘safety loan’ called into question again

Publication  |  May 10, 2013

In a landmark ruling laid out in a March 25 letter to the Ukrainian Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Implementation Commission of the United Nations Espoo Convention has deemed that Ukraine’s plans to expand the lifetime of its old nuclear reactors is in breach of the convention – the same convention that Ukraine ratified in 1999. Ukrainian campaigners believe that this should lead the EBRD to halt the disbursement of a EUR 300 million ‘nuclear safety’ loan agreed with Ukraine’s state nuclear operator just days prior to the issuing of the Espoo verdict.

Ukraine’s Nukes Are in Breach of UN Convention

Press release  |  April 22, 2013

Kiev – Ukraine’s expansion of the lifetime of its old nuclear reactors is in breach of the UN Espoo Convention, ruled the body monitoring the implementation of this international agreement, because Kiev went ahead with the prolongation of the use of its old reactors without assessing the impact this may have on neighbouring countries.

Ukraine’s nuclear energy fixation puts its European financiers to a test

Blog entry  |  September 5, 2016

In a meeting today, the Espoo Convention’s Implementation Committee will again discuss Ukraine’s compliance with the Convention’s rules. A look back at the last months does not suggest a positive outcome.

Nuclear accountability curbed by EU politics and industry interests

Blog entry  |  July 3, 2017

A meeting of the parties to the UN convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context (Espoo) helped to showcase the influence that politics and the nuclear industry lobby have over decisions that have potentially severe impacts on European citizens’ health and the environment.

Ukrainian nuclear sector in defiance and in financial trouble

Blog entry  |  December 4, 2013

On November 28, the state nuclear regulator of Ukraine (SNRIU) allowed the continued operation of unit 1 of the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant (SUNPP-1) until December 2, 2023 – 10 years beyond its technically designed lifetime. The decision not only constitutes a breach of national regulation, but also disregards an unresolved case of non-compliance with the UN Espoo Convention. All this while Energoatom is in an increasingly tight financial situation.