Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

▸8 unchanged paragraphs

on the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania for the period 2028-2034, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/101

(COM(2025)0476 – C100271/2025 – 2025/0268(NLE))

(Consultation)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2025)0476),

– having regard to the 2003 Act of Accession, and in particular Article 3(2) of Protocol No 4 attached thereto,

– having regard to the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets,

– having regard to Rule 84 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed– having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A100000/2026),(A10-0197/2026),

▸5 unchanged paragraphs

1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, in accordance with Article 293(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

3. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4. Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to substantially amend the Commission proposal;

5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.

Change 1

RemovedTitle 1: Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION establishing the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania (the Ignalina Programme) for the period 2028-2034, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/101

Added2025/0268(NLE)

RemovedThe current regulation is called the "Ignalina Programme", which provides more clarity.

AddedProposal for a

RemovedRecital 1: (1) In accordance with Protocol No 4 on the Ignalina nuclear power plant attached to the 2003 Act of Accession1 , which constitutes the legal basis of the Ignalina Programme, Lithuania committed itself to the closure of Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Ignalina nuclear power plant by 31 December 2004 and 31 December 2009 respectively, and to the subsequent decommissioning of those units.

AddedCOUNCIL REGULATION

RemovedIt is important to emphasise that the provisions of Protocol No 4 of the Lithuanian Accession Treaty, which form the basis of the programme, remain valid.

Addedestablishing the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania for the period 2028-2034, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/101

RemovedRecital 2: (2) In accordance with its obligations under the Act of Accession and with Union assistance, Lithuania shut down the two units within the respective deadlines and made significant progress towards their decommissioning. Further work is necessary in order to continue the decrease of the level of radiological hazard. Based on the available estimates, substantial additional financial resources are required for this purpose beyond 2027.

AddedTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RemovedRecital 3: (3) The decommissioning of the nuclear power plant covered by this Regulation is to be carried out in accordance with Union legislation on nuclear safety, namely Council Directive 2009/71/Euratom2, and waste management, namely Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom3 . Pursuant to this legislation, the ultimate responsibility for nuclear safety and for the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management remains with Lithuania. While that Directive provides that the costs of managing spent fuel and radioactive waste are to be borne by those who generated those materials, it may be considered that this provision cannot reasonably be applied retroactively to Lithuania. Given that the financial burden associated with those activities exceeds the total costs of the decommissioning programme, it is important to ensure that Lithuania is not left to bear that responsibility alone.

AddedHaving regard to the 2003 Act of Accession, and in particular Article 3(2) of Protocol No 4 attached thereto,

RemovedLithuania prematurely closed the Ignalina NPP before the adoption of the Directive and was therefore not in a position to accumulate sufficient funds for the storage and disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste. Also, the Ignalina Programme is a decommissioning support programme; the deep repository is intended for the disposal of long-lived waste, including spent nuclear fuel and irradiated graphite, and graphite is waste generated during decommissioning, so it is logical that it should be financed from the decommissioning programme.

AddedHaving regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

RemovedRecital 4: (4) Recognising that the premature shutdown and consequent decommissioning of the Ignalina nuclear power plant with two 1 500 MW RBMK-type reactor units, which are similar to – but more powerful than – those used in the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant (‘Chernobyl NPP’ ), inherited from the Soviet Union was of an unprecedented nature and represented for Lithuania an exceptional financial burden not commensurate with the size and economic strength of the country, Protocol No 4 to the 2003 Act of Accession stated that the Union assistance under the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania (the ‘Ignalina Programme’) is to be seamlessly continued and extended beyond 2006, for the period of the next Financial Perspectives. The original principles of the Programme, as stipulated by the Protocol, state that “the extended Ignalina programme shall be based on the same elements and principles as described in Article 2 of the Protocol, including measures to enhance the security of energy supply and improving energy efficiency in Lithuania”. However, in order to ensure transparent and efficient use of funds, the ongoing Ignalina Programme, as agreed by Lithuania, is focused only on the decommissioning process, thereby maximising efficiency of funding.

AddedWhereas:

RemovedIt is important to note that although the scope of Protocol No. 4 would allow Lithuania to demand financial support to enhance energy supply security and efficiency, Lithuania agreed to limit the scope of the programme to the decommissioning of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant to ensure the transparent and efficient use of funds.

Added(1) In accordance with Protocol No 4 on the Ignalina nuclear power plant attached to the 2003 Act of Accession, which constitutes the legal basis of the Ignalina Programme, Lithuania committed itself to the closure of Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Ignalina nuclear power plant by 31 December 2004 and 31 December 2009 respectively, and to the subsequent decommissioning of those units.

RemovedRecital 5: (5) This Regulation lays down a financial envelope for the Programme for the period 2028-2034.

Added(2) In accordance with its obligations under the Act of Accession and with Union assistance, Lithuania shut down the two units within the respective deadlines and made significant progress towards their decommissioning. Further work is necessary in order to continue the decrease of the level of radiological hazard. Based on the available estimates, additional financial resources are required for this purpose beyond 2027.

RemovedIn the Rapporteur’s view, the term “indicative” is misleading, as it implies uncertainty about the Programme’s funding level. During the next MFF, dismantling of the reactor cores will begin, and once started, this work cannot be interrupted. Any funding uncertainty therefore raises serious nuclear safety concerns.

Added(3) The decommissioning of the nuclear power plant covered by this Regulation is to be carried out in accordance with Union legislation on nuclear safety, namely Council Directive 2009/71/Euratom, and waste management, namely Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom. Pursuant to this legislation, the ultimate responsibility for nuclear safety and for the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management remains with Lithuania. However, given that the financial burden associated with those activities exceeds the total costs of the decommissioning programme, it is essential to ensure that Lithuania does not bear this responsibility alone, particularly as addressing potential safety threats benefits the Union as a whole, not only Lithuania.

RemovedRecital 7: (7) In a rapidly changing economic, social and geopolitical environment, recent experience has shown the need for a more flexible multiannual financial framework and Union spending programmes. To that effect, and in line with the objectives of the Programme, the funding, while ensuring the full delivery of the budget allocation for the period 2028-2034 and sufficient predictability for budget implementation, should duly consider the evolving policy needs and Union priorities as identified in relevant documents published by the Commission, in European Parliament resolutions, and Council conclusions.

Added(4) Recognising that the premature shutdown and consequent decommissioning of the Ignalina nuclear power plant with two 1 500 MW RBMK-type reactor units which are similar to, but more powerful than, those used in the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant (‘Chernobyl NPP’) inherited from the Soviet Union was of an unprecedented nature and represented for Lithuania an exceptional financial burden not commensurate with the size and economic strength of the country, Protocol No 4 to the 2003 Act of Accession stated that the Union assistance under the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania (the ‘Programme’) is to be seamlessly continued and extended beyond 2006, for the period of the next Financial Perspectives. The original principles of the Programme, as stipulated by the Protocol no. 4, state that ‘the extended Ignalina programme shall be based on the same elements and principles as described in Article 2 of the Protocol, including measures to enhance the security of energy supply and improving energy efficiency in Lithuania’. However, in order to ensure transparent and efficient use of funds, the ongoing Ignalina Programme, as agreed by Lithuania, is focused only on the decommissioning process, thereby maximising funding efficiency.

RemovedDuring the next MFF, dismantling of the reactor cores will begin, and once started, this work cannot be interrupted. Any funding uncertainty therefore raises serious nuclear safety concerns.

Added(5) This Regulation lays down a reference amount for the Programme for the period 2028-2034.

RemovedRecital 13: (13) The Programme should involve the creation of knowledge and the sharing of experience. Knowledge and experience gained and lessons learnt under the Programme with regard to the nuclear decommissioning process and waste management should be disseminated across the Union and – under certain conditions – beyond, in coordination and synergy with the Commission’s nuclear installations at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) sites, as such measures bring the greatest Union added value and contribute to the safety of the workers and the general public as well as protection of the environment. The scope, procedure and economic aspects of cooperation should be detailed in multiannual work programmes and could also be subject to agreements between the Member States or between the Member States and the Commission.

Added(6) In implementing the Programme, consistency, coherence and synergies with relevant Union policies and programmes, in particular with the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning established by Council Regulation [XXX], and with relevant Union and national policies and programmes supporting the social and economic transition of the Visaginas region, should be ensured.

RemovedRecital 14: (14) The JRC should facilitate the dissemination of knowledge on nuclear decommissioning among different Union stakeholders in a coordinated way, for example by carrying out market analysis, reviews and assessments of knowledge needs in the Union and, where relevant, third countries, identifying potential directions for cooperation, interested stakeholders and spheres in which knowledge created in the implementation of the Programme would bring the greatest added value, and developing formats for knowledge sharing. The dissemination of knowledge created should be financed by the JRC. Any Member State should be able to initiate the development of ties and exchanges for knowledge dissemination. Where relevant, such exchanges could involve like-minded third countries, in consistency and complementarity with actions carried out under Regulation [XXX] of the European Parliament and of the Council[1] [Global Europe] and Council Regulation [XXX][2] [INSC-D]. In order to strengthen the Union’s technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy in the nuclear decommissioning sector, knowledge generated under the Programme should primarily reinforce Union industrial and technological capacities, while the dissemination beyond the Union should be conducted in a manner which safeguards the Union’s security interests, intellectual property, and technological leadership. / (deleted) / (deleted)

Added(7) In a rapidly changing economic, social and geopolitical environment, recent experience has shown the need for a more flexible multiannual financial framework and Union spending programmes. To that effect, and in line with the objectives of the Programme, the funding, while ensuring the delivery of the budget allocation for the period 2028-2034 and sufficient predictability for budget implementation, should duly consider the evolving policy needs and Union priorities as identified in relevant documents published by the Commission, in European Parliament resolutions, and Council conclusions. ▌

RemovedImportant to share the knowledge with strategic partners. Sharing the knowledge indiscriminately, risks empowering Europe’s competitors at the expense of the European interest, including, geopolitical rivals.

Added(8) Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council applies to the Programme. It lays down the rules on the establishment and the implementation of the general budget of the Union, including the rules on grants, prizes, non-financial donations, procurement, indirect management, financial assistance, financial instruments and budgetary guarantees.

RemovedRecital 15: (15) The decommissioning of the Ignalina nuclear power plant should be carried out with recourse to the best available technical expertise, and with due regard to the nature and technological specifications of the installations to be decommissioned, in order to ensure safety and the highest possible efficiency, taking into account European and international best practices.

Added(9) In accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95, Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96, and Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, the financial interests of the Union are to be protected through proportionate measures, including the prevention, detection, correction and investigation of irregularities and fraud, the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used and, where appropriate, the imposition of administrative sanctions. In particular, in accordance with Regulations (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 and (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) may carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union. In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) may investigate and prosecute fraud and other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the Union as provided for in Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council. In accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, any person or entity receiving Union funds is to fully cooperate in the protection of the Union's financial interests, to grant the necessary rights and access to the Commission, OLAF, EPPO, and the European Court of Auditors and to ensure that any third parties involved in the implementation of Union funds grant equivalent rights.

RemovedRecital 15 a (new): (15a) Taking into account the evolving security environment and the threats posed to strategic infrastructure by unmanned aerial systems, in particular the drone attack on the Chernobyl NPP in February 2025 and the substantial damage caused to the protective shield covering the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, the Ignalina Programme should also be used to finance measures to increase the security of the nuclear facility site from such threats.

Added(9a) The Programme should be implemented with full transparency and accountability in the use of Union resources in order to preserve public trust in the managing of Union funds. All financial needs underpinning each phase of the implementation should be documented and justified in a transparent manner, with a clear breakdown of the budget to be made available to the relevant institutions.

RemovedIgnalina nuclear facility is critical and security-related infrastructure and must be adequately protected during the decommissioning process. Protective measures against drones are necessary to safeguard the population and the environment, as damage to the nuclear facility could result in radioactive contamination and other serious cross-border consequences.

Added(10) The Programme is to be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU) [XXX] of the European Parliament and of the Council [Performance Regulation] which establishes the rules for the expenditure tracking and the performance framework for the budget, including rules for ensuring a uniform application of the principles of ‘do no significant harm’ and gender equality referred to in Article 33(2), points (d) and (f), of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 respectively, rules for monitoring and reporting on the performance of Union programmes and activities, rules for establishing a Union funding portal, rules for the evaluation of the programmes, as well as other horizontal provisions applicable to all Union programmes such as those on information, communication and visibility.

RemovedRecital 16: deleted

Added(11) This Regulation does not prejudge the outcome of any future State aid procedures that may be undertaken in accordance with Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

RemovedCommitting in advance to a substantial workforce reduction before the outsourcing process is successfully completed would create unnecessary operational risk. It is therefore prudent to retain sufficient skilled personnel until a reliable and fully secured outsourcing arrangement is in place.

Added(12) The financing pursuant to this Regulation should concentrate on activities implementing the safety objectives of the decommissioning and mitigating risks.

RemovedRecital 18: deleted

Added(13) The Programme should involve the creation of knowledge and the sharing of experience with the objective of retaining such knowledge and expertise within the Union to strengthen its industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy. Knowledge and experience gained and lessons learnt under the Programme with regard to the nuclear decommissioning process and waste management should be disseminated across the Union and, where appropriate and under certain conditions, beyond, without disclosing any sensitive information held by undertakings, in coordination and synergy with the Commission’s nuclear installations at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) sites, as such measures bring the greatest Union added value and contribute to the development of nuclear safety skills, the safety of the workers and the general public as well as protection of the environment. The scope, procedure and economic aspects of cooperation should be detailed in multiannual work programmes and could also be subject to agreements between the Member States or between the Member States and the Commission.

RemovedDuring the period of the next MFF, the works on dismantling of the reactor cores will be started. With this in mind, the funding uncertainty raises concerns in terms of nuclear safety as the works on the reactor core, once started, cannot be interrupted.