the operation of The ailing nuclear power plants Doel 1 and 2, since 2015 is unlawful. Nothing follows..... Because Belgium still has no government.

stay The wind mill, but the NUCLEAR power plant Doel needs to go – maybe someday... - photo: imago images/Philippe Clement

AACHEN taz | The Belgian constitutional court, the law for longer periods of the nuclear reactors Doel 1 and Doel 2 has tilted at Antwerp. The Supreme court held that 2015 would be an environmental assessment of the impact of opposition proceedings is mandatory have been necessary. Two environmental groups had sued against the extension of the term, on a parity basis, together: the Flemish Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), and Inter-Environnement from Wallonia.

The judge set a deadline of the end of 2022, make up for the most complex requirements and to adopt a completely new law. Otherwise, it must be switched off for new year's eve 2022 final and not in 2025, as currently planned.

The two "stone age"-the reactors of the nuclear power plant since 1975 in operation. You should already be 2015. At the time, however, the Belgian Parliament adopted in a hurry, a law on the extension of the term of ten years. Reason: Alleged problems with the power supply. Belgium has slept through a switch to Renewable energies is long, it is only in the past few years, smaller wind farms have emerged in the landscape, and the share of the energy Mix is increasing slowly (2018: 12 percent, Germany: 37%).

While the Belgian Green and environmental associations ("a historic judgment") on Thursday, the Chance for the energy transition, celebrated, interpreted the (then as now) competent liberal Minister Marie-Christine Marghem, the devastating judgment on their own way: It was but a confirmation of their policy, that the reactors be allowed to continue and not start operating immediately to set. Marghem, was adopted under the responsibility of the law 2015, added insult: "thanks to the environmental organizations, we have to spend now systematically each Time millions of Euro more, if we want to extend the operation." And not only that: Also the neighboring Dutch municipalities need to be involved, the court, in the advanced process.

"This is a good clarification of the Belgian constitutional court, unfortunately, without immediate consequences for the operation of the reactors," said Oliver Krischer, Vice-Chairman of the Greens in the Bundestag, the taz. "The judgment but the Chance that Belgium will change its irresponsible nuclear course, and the power plants have to be decommissioned."

The ailing Belgian power plants, there is always the headlines: Lack of maintenance, fires on the site, cracks in the concrete, temporary shutdowns, a delayed restart. Recently it became known that the NUCLEAR power plant operators Engie, Electrabel does not liability insurance that will cover the extended statutory protection to 2021. Until then, the scrap reactors at Doel and Tihange in liège on (atoms and society) columns. You have long since written off, since the operation is more than a Quasi-license to print money especially lucrative.

The ruling Thursday was in this respect, was no Surprise, as the European court of justice (ECJ) in July 2019, in a report declared that the Belgian extension of the law was in breach of EU law. The Belgian constitutional court had asked the ECJ for an opinion.

Now, a new law must be in a hurry. For the environmental organisation BBL Mathias Bienstman said: "The constitutional court has called for the fastest possible creation of an environmental report, because the nuclear power plants are otherwise operated illegally." But this will take time. Because the Belgian state is currently the only act to a limited extent. The country has a government since the end of 2018 just a business, leading a minority. All Attempts to form a new coalition and to create the possibility for the legislation, have failed since then. To own record (541 days), it is only good for three months.