+ 29.09.2011 + A possible  nuclear hazard like Fukushima would mean the financial end of Europe.

Around 100 citizens from the German border regions visited the nuclear power station Temelín, 150 km South of Prague, where they were joined by nuclear critics from the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland. They demanded from the Czech Government to follow the example set by neighbouring countries Austria and Germany and phase out the existing reactors, refrain from the construction of new nuclear power plants and re-orient the Czech energy policy towards a clean and sustainable future. The Germans fear that now where Germany has decided to move away from the risks of nuclear energy, they still would be faced with possible nuclear hazards from the Czech Republic.

Brigitte Artmann from the Greens in Wunsiedel explained the interest in the visit: "CEZ has not been able to convince us that Temelín is more under control than our own German nuclear power stations or those in Japan. On the contrary, during our visit it has become clear that those concerns that led to the nuclear phase- out in Germany are actively suppressed in the media and the public debate in the Czech Republic."

One of the visitors, the in Prague living Greenpeace nuclear expert for the EU Jan Haverkamp, explained: "Issues like nuclear waste or terrorist attack are taboo in the Czech Republic. And what is more disturbing is that the Czech authorities keep, for instance, information about failures during the construction of Temelín actively away from the public. Like, for instance, an alleged faulty repair on one of the main steam-pipes to the reactor. They furthermore prevent such issues to be re-investigated during the stress tests that are currently carried out after the Fukushima catastrophe in Japan."

Many of the German visitors are actively involved in the public consultation in the Environmental Impact Assessment of new reactors at Temelín. Artmann: "It is important that the Czech government steps away from its ideological approach to such a dangerous technology as nuclear power. However, it is a struggle to get our full rights to be able to argue for that implemented. We want, for instance, not only public hearings in the Czech Republic, but also, as required under international law, in Bavaria and Saxony. Only in that way, the German debate can also be passed on to the Czech decision makers."

The visit to Temelín included the visitor centre and a tour into the nuclear power station itself, but also presentations by long time Czech critics of the Temelín project like former Environment Minister Martin Bursik and the representative for near-border nuclear installations of the region of Upper Austria Dalibor Strasky.  Artmann concluded: " Many communities in Germany are producing Green Energy. Wind, sun, combined heat and power and energy storage are the future. The German choice to move away from nuclear is based on the experience of Tschernobyl and Fukushima, listening to the demonstrations on the streets, listening to all sides, like we have done here in Temelín. If all sides are allowed to speak, if all arguments come together, there cannot be another conclusion than moving away from nuclear power - the radical other approach than the Czech government is currently making. We have all reason to be worried. "

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen 2011