German Bundestag passes nuclear clean-up bill

The German federal parliament (Bundestag) has voted by a large majority to transfer liabilities for storing nuclear waste to the state, the Bundestag has stated in a press release. The legislative proposal introduced by the government stipulates that nuclear plant operators will be charged with the costs for decommissioning and dismantling plants, as well as safely packaging the radioactive waste by paying up to 23.6 billion euros into a state fund. Members of parliament called on the federal government to demand that utilities abandon lawsuits in which they claim compensation for Germany’s accelerated nuclear phase-out triggered in 2011. Economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said “this can hardly be brought about” by the federal government. The Council of the German federal states (Bundesrat) will likely vote on the bill on Friday.

Find the press release in German here.

For background read the CLEW article Germany’s constitutional court backs speedy nuclear exit and the CLEW dossier The challenges of Germany’s nuclear phase-out.