VILNIUS - The power sharing agreement between the four countries setting up a management company for the new nuclear power plant is turning out to be "more complicated" than expected, says Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas.
Latvia, Estonia and Poland have already agreed with Lithuania's proposal concerning the distribution of shares in the national investor company, Leo LT, which was set up to lead the planning and development of the nuclear plant project.
"There are indications that [the participating countries] will agree with Lithuania holding a 51 percent stake [in the management company], though they do not give too much prominence to [Leo LT] since we are carrying out the main work and the partners need only contribute somewhat. However, with the management company the situation will be quite different, the stakes will be dependent on the environment impact assessment," Kirkilas said.
"The ministers of Latvia, Estonia and Poland support the whole process, yet they wish for the provisions of an agreement between the shareholders of the future joint N-plant management venture to be worked out as soon as possible," said Economy Minister Vytas Navickas.
The four energy companies representing the participating states are due to meet in Copenhagen on July 25.
The Lithuanian parliament voted last week to postpone until the fall session a decision over the address by some MPs to the Constitutional Court on compliance with the Constitution of the nuclear plant law. The European Commission raised the issue as to whether EU directives regarding public-private partnerships may have been violated in setting up Leo LT.
The amended law on the nuclear station, adopted in February, called for the establishment of Leo LT and authorized it to construct a nuclear power station.
Immediately after the adoption of the law, 53 parliamentarians registered a draft resolution addressing the Constitutional Court for an explanation on whether the purpose of Leo LT, as stipulated by the law, would be a for-profit venture, which would put into question its alignment with Lithuania's laws on the state's responsibilities to defend consumer rights.
The MPs have questioned the constitutionality of inviting NDX Energija, operated by the Vilnius Prekyba group, into the Leo LT partnership.
Lithuania is to hold a referendum, simultaneously with parliamentary elections in the fall, on extending the life of the existing Ignalina nuclear plant past the EU-mandated Dec. 31, 2009 closure date, in an effort to avoid a severe shortfall in electricity until a new plant is built.
Kestutis Sadauskas, head of the European Commission representation in Lithuania, warns however that Vilnius should not expect the EU to change its approach towards the closure of Ignalina after the advisory referendum, and that he would vote against the extension of the plant's lifespan.
"This was Lithuania's obligation when it entered into the Accession Treaty, and provisions of the treaty do not allow for departure from this commitment. It cannot be amended if at least one EU Member State speaks against it," he said, adding that "If closure resulted in any problems for Lithuania's economy, other solutions might be found."
Lithuania aims to build power links with Poland and Sweden in 2013-2016 and build a new nuclear power plant in consortium with the neighboring countries by 2015-2018.
The government and NDX Energija own 61.7 percent and 38.3 percent of Leo LT, respectively.
