Belgium – ‘Intelligent’ nuclear phase-out

Groen! chair and GreenYourope coordinator Luc Lamote after having symbolically closed the Doel nuclear plant

Belgium – Last Sunday’s agreement of the six parties of social democrat Elio Di Rupo’s future coalition to start a nuclear phase-out from 2015 onwards left the Green parties with mixed feelings. It is less than the purple coalition’s decision back in 2003, because the ‘intelligent phase-out’ as newspapers call it, allows for a delay in case compensation for the energy loss causes problems.

But it is better than what the former government would have done if it hadn’t resigned: postpone the phase-out by ten years.

Écolo’s Olivier Deleuze, back then a junior minister for sustainable development, is optimistic about the possibilities for putting in place a renewable energy scheme in time to close down at least the two reactors of Doel, along the Schelde river, and possibly one reactor in Tihange along the Meuse. Kristof Calvo however, has called the agreement far too unclear to provide a solid basis for investments in renewables.

After 514 days, the negotiations at last are heading towards a result, which is expected before the end of the month. This week the parties will probably decide on quite ambitious CO2 reduction targets, of 30 percent by 2020 and 80 by 2050. Groen! and Écolo won’t be part of the new government; mid-October the right-wing Flemish parties pushed Groen! out, because it would push the balance too much to the right. Écolo in turn refused to stay because together with Groen! it forms a group in the national Parliament.