Press Releases

26. 4. 200716:24

The Government has not terminated the Melk Process

The Office of the Government of the Czech Republic emphatically denies the statement: “The Government regards the Melk Process on the safety of Temelín as terminated”, which appeared in the report of the Czech News Agency (ČTK) regarding the safety of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant.

This claim is in sharp conflict with the respective Resolution adopted by the Government, and nothing to this effect was said by Vice Premier Alexandr Vondra at the press conference following the Government session. On the contrary, it was explicitly stated that the competent ministers would continue honouring the commitments ensuing from the Melk Process. The Government merely took account of the Report on the fulfilment of the obligations deriving from the Melk Process in 2006. What was terminated was the activity of the Commission for the Assessment of the Environmental Impacts of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant – a fact which has no bearing on international co-operation between the respective ministries. Since the Melk Process is not a treaty under international law, it can be neither terminated nor repudiated, neither by one of the parties nor as a results of bilateral negotiations. The Czech Government has not and even could not have terminated this process.

Annexes:
Transcript of the press conference held after the Government meeting on 25th April

Text of the Government Resolution

At the press conference referred to above, Vice Premier for European Affairs A. Vondra commented on the Government Resolution as follows:
Point no. 10 is Report on the results of the activities of the State Authority for Nuclear Safety in the execution of state oversight of nuclear safety and radiation protection in the past year. The Government approved point no. 11, the Report on the fulfilment of the obligations deriving from the conclusions of the Melk Process and subsequent measures in 2006. In other words, on the one hand the Government took account of this Report, and on the other it noted that the Melk Process took place in strict compliance with the plan; and therefore the Government decided to terminate the activities of the Commission for the Assessment of the Environmental Impacts of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant.
We discussed these issues, and in the discussion it was reiterated that the system of information which the Czech side provides to Austria is absolutely above-standard and essentially has no parallel in Europe. In this respect we believe that we have an absolutely clear conscience. The Resolution which was adopted by the Government thus of course respects these facts. We believe that it would be appropriate normally to switch over to a mode of a standard information agreement, but we perceive that the Austrian side is not yet prepared to make this step together with us. In other words, this Resolution on the one hand notes that the competent ministers will continue honouring the commitments ensuing from the conclusions of the Melk Process, and on the other accentuates our preparedness to switch over to a mode of information agreement. The whole Report is taken account of. The activities of the Commission for the Assessment of the Environmental Impacts of the Temelín Power Plant were therefore terminated by the Government Resolution, because they no longer have relevance.

At its yesterday session, the Government of the Czech Republic approved point no. 11, the Report on the fulfilment of the obligations deriving from the conclusions of the Melk Process and the subsequent measures in 2006.

I. It takes account of the Report on the fulfilment of the obligations deriving from the conclusions of the Melk Process and the subsequent measures in 2006;

II.1. It instructs the Minister for the Environment, Minister of Industry and Trade, Minister of Health, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Chairwoman of the State Authority for Nuclear Safety to continue in honouring the commitments ensuing from the conclusions of the Melk Process and the subsequent measures which fall within their respective jurisdiction;
2. Instructs the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Industry and Trade, in respect of its Resolution no. 609 of 24th May, 2006, regarding the proposal for negotiating a Protocol between the Governments of the Czech Republic and the Republic of Austria amending the Agreement between the Governments of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Austria on the arrangement of issues of common interest concerning nuclear safety and protection against radiation, to discuss with the Government of the Republic of Austria the procedure to be followed in the ratification of the above-mentioned Protocol (the so-called Information Agreement).

III. It terminates the activities of the Commission for the Assessment of the Environmental Impacts of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plan, established by Government Resolution no. 65 from 17th January, 2001, and thanks its members for their activities connected with the fulfilment of Government Resolution no. 1278 from 28th November, 2001 and related resolutions.

Martin Schmarz,
Director Press Department of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic
Press Department of the Czech Government Office
tiskovy.odbor@vlada.cz