Lithuania-EU may clash over nuclear plant

BRUSSLES, Belgium, July 15 (UPI) -- Lithuanian leaders say they aren't ready to close a nuclear power plant despite pressure from the European Commission.

Closing the Ignalina nuclear plant by the end of 2009 was a condition of Lithuania's entry into the European Union but a majority of that nation's Parliament members recently called for a referendum on the issue, leading to a possible showdown, EUobserver.com said Tuesday. Any delay might result in reconsideration of Lithuania's entry into the EU.

But Lithuanian leaders argue that closing of the aging Chernobyl-style nuclear plant before alternative sources of power are developed would be an unfair burden on the Baltic state. They seek to postpone the closure of Ignalina's remaining sections until 2012.

"Our motive is the difficult situation facing Lithuania," Lithuanian Economy Minister Vytas Navickas told EUobserver.com. "The situation after a closing of Ignalina was likely to be "catastrophic" as electricity prices would "rise fourfold."