A visit to Czech Nuclear Power Plants, along with access to their Safety Reports, depends on a free decision of anyone

Nuclear Power Plants in Dukovany and in Temelin welcome visitors in a number of annually more than 50,000 persons coming mainly from various schools but also a wide range of the public in the Czech Republic as well as from abroad (in the majority from Austria and Germany) very often take advantage of the chance. Anybody has just to pick up the phone and reserve his taking part in a group visit with professional guides assisting during the round trip inside the plants.

In the Information centre of Temelin the interested people also have opportunity to look into a big volume of documentation that has been on display since 1998. Not accessible remain only those parts which contain intellectual property of suppliers like procedures or calculations or those dealing with physical protection systems of the plant. Nevertheless, it is understandable that this confidential information had been provided to the State authority for nuclear safety (SUJB) whose responsibility is to assess and endorse fulfilment of requirements of Czech legislation valid for peaceful use of nuclear energy and ionising radiation. But all conclusions related to nuclear safety and the impact on environment are accessible without any restraint.

Consequently, such access is being granted to everybody including Mr. Edward Fagan who recently has announced his interest in this documentation. CEZ highly appreciates the contribution of this lawyer to the affair of compensations for holocaust victims and persons forced to slave-work during the World War II that deeply concerns the Czech Republic and its citizens. In the case of Temelin and its documentation no evidence of anybody's rights derogation exist, except of the doubts upon the right of the Czech republic to make its choice in favour of nuclear energy exploitation. Still, the opinion of CEZ has been that no benefit can come out either for Austria or for the Czech Republic only if a professional discussion continues as commenced thanks to the agreement of Melk, without continuous attempts to reducing it to an emotional affair. That is why CEZ will continue keeping based-on-facts viewpoint and providing professional information to support the on-going dialog as defined by agreement of the premier ministers of Austria and the Czech Republic.

Ladislav Krizpress, spokesman of CEZ

14. 3. 2001