The recent judgment of the European Court of Justice in no way restricts or delays the Paks II nuclear expansion project, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Thursday in Budapest.
At a joint press conference with Austrian counterpart Beate Meinl-Reisinger, the minister addressed the ruling concerning state aid for the project. “Before the opponents of Hungary and of Hungarian energy security open the champagne, I want to make it clear that the European Court issued a decision against the European Commission, annulling one of its earlier rulings,” he stated.
Minister Szijjártó stressed that the government continues to regard the Paks nuclear power plant expansion as the cornerstone of the country’s future energy security. “This court ruling in no way restricts or slows the progress of the investment. On the contrary, in recent months we have accelerated the project,” he underlined.
He confirmed that both new reactor blocks will be connected to the grid at the beginning of the next decade. “With this, we will take a huge step forward in guaranteeing Hungary’s energy security,” the minister added.