CZECH REPUBLIC DISMISSES AUSTRIAN RESOLUTION ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 001519 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2016 TAGS: ENRG SENV PREL PGOV EZ SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC DISMISSES AUSTRIAN RESOLUTION ON NUCLEAR PLANT REF: PRAGUE 1483 Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mike Dodman for reasons 1.4 b+d ¶1. SUMMARY: (U) The Austrian Parliament passed a resolution December 14 asking the government to pursue legal action against a nuclear power plant in the neighboring Czech Republic. Prague has responded with a mixture of tough talk and dismissive shrugs. The resolution received coverage on the front pages of three of the four national Czech dailies December 15, but isn't expected to get the lasting attention of Czech leaders. Czech officials view the resolution more as a reflection of internal Austrian politics than something that requires political action within the Czech Republic. They also believe there is no realistic chance for any suit against the nuclear plant. END SUMMARY ¶2. (U) The December 14 resolution follows a December 3 blockade of two Austrian-Czech border crossings by Austrian anti-nuclear activists, after which the Austrian Ambassador in Prague was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since then, Austrians have threatened further blockades and pushed for formal steps against Temelin, one of two Czech nuclear plants some 45 miles north of the shared border. Temelin is handled under the 2001 Melk Agreement requiring the Czechs to provide information on plant safety in exchange for the Austrians agreeing to prevent protests such as the border blockade. Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Vondra reacted to the parliamentary resolution saying the Czechs have given the maximum information they could to Austrian authorities and warned that if the Austrians pursue the legal action, it could end the dialogue on nuclear safety. A posting on the MFA website was more circumspect, "We are concerned about the fact that the resolution of the Austrian Parliament may restrain this dialogue. We will consider the possibility of continuing the dialogue until the situation is clarified." ¶3. (C) Jan Hamacek, Chairman of the Czech Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, told poloff December 15 that the suit had no chance and was little more than a show by Austrian authorities to demonstrate their effectiveness during an internal political struggle. Said Hamacek, "They can point at us and say, Look how tough I've been on those bloody Czechs." But Hamacek believes the matter is a non-issue and that Czech journalists erred in giving it so much attention. Hamacek explained that the potential legal action by the Austrians would not be taken up by any international court. However, Hamacek said that if Austrian authorities did not prevent further blockades, the Czechs would have to refer the matter to EU authorities. ¶4. (C) Milos Tichy, of the International Department at the State Office for Nuclear Safety, the nuclear regulator, was similarly dismissive. Tichy told poloff that it is no coincidence that Austrian farmers cause blockades with their tractors only after the harvest is over and the machines are no longer needed for agricultural work. On a more serious note, Tichy said there are renewed plans to complete the original design at Temelin, which called for four 1000MW reactors, of which only two were built. Tichy thought the current tension over Temelin could make it harder to announce an expansion of nuclear power in the Czech Republic, something Tichy believes some political parties would like to do early in 2007. GRABER