GERMANY: Coalition government suspends agreement prolonging life of Germany's nuclear power stations, Chancellor Angela Merkel tells reporters

Record ID: 462915

  • Title: GERMANY: Coalition government suspends agreement prolonging life of Germany's nuclear power stations, Chancellor Angela Merkel tells reporters
  • Date: 15th March 2011
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (MARCH 14, 2011) (REUTERS) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL AND GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER GUIDO WESTERWELLE ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "We know how safe Germany's nuclear power plants are. But it is also true that we cannot yet ignore the importance of nuclear energy as a bridging technology, if we want to continue to cover our own energy consumption as Europe's largest economy and if we want to respect climate protection." WESTERWELLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "There are no taboos for these security checks (of German nuclear plants). That is why we will suspend the recently agreed extension of the life span of Germany's nuclear plants. This is a moratorium and this moratorium is valid for three months." MERKEL'S SHADOW WIDE OF MERKEL SPEAKING PARLIAMENTARY FLOOR LEADER OF OPPOSITION GREENS PARTY, JUERGEN TRITTIN SITTING DOWN FOR NEWS CONFERENCE JOINT GREENS LEADER CLAUDIA ROTH TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (German) PARLIAMENTARY FLOOR LEADER OF OPPOSITION GREENS PARTY, JUERGEN TRITTIN, SAYING: "We would later like to present you with a petition in which we will ask the German parliament to immediately shut down Germany's seven oldest nuclear plants plus the Kruemmel nuclear plant." NECKARWESTHEIM, GERMANY (MARCH 12, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HUMAN CHAIN BESIDE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT VARIOUS OF ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTESTERS HOLDING HANDS DEMONSTRATORS WITH BALLOONS DEMONSTRATORS STANDING IN CHAIN
  • Embargoed: 30th March 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVA1YWERPNUE4EHYIBSWE40G78XM
  • Story Text: Germany's coalition on Monday (March 14) announced a three-month suspension of its decision to extend the life of the country's nuclear power stations.
    Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Berlin that "we know how safe Germany's nuclear power plants are. But it is also true that we cannot yet ignore the importance of nuclear energy as a bridging technology, if we want to continue to cover our own energy consumption as Europe's largest economy and if we want to respect climate protection."
    Merkel then announced her government had agreed to "suspend the recently agreed extension of the life span of Germany's nuclear plants. This is a moratorium and this moratorium is valid for three months."
    Last year, her coalition agreed to extend the life of Germany's ageing nuclear plants beyond their original planned closure dates. But with Japanese engineers trying avoid a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear complex, already strong opposition to the plan in Germany has stiffened.
    Juergen Trittin, the floor leader of the opposition Greens party, told reporters ahead of Merkel's statement that his party would call for a petition "in which we will ask the German parliament to immediately shut down Germany's seven oldest nuclear plants plus the Kruemmel nuclear plant."
    Merkel also told a news conference that nuclear plants which had been scheduled to close in the next three months before the extension deal was struck last year would now be shut down after all.
    On Saturday (March 12), tens of thousands of people took part in an anti-nuclear demonstration in southern Germany by creating a 45 kilometre human chain.
    Germany's 17 nuclear power stations are operated by E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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