(Adds comments by Slovak, Czech PMs)
By Martin Dokoupil and Jan Korselt
PRAGUE, May 22 (Reuters) - Nuclear energy is a low-carbon
source that may help Europe in fighting climate change and raise
energy security, the head of the bloc's executive Commission,
Jose Manuel Barroso, said on Thursday.
Barroso said nuclear power was one of the cheapest
low-carbon power sources, but safety must remain of paramount
concern, and it was up to individual member states to decide on
their energy mix.
"Nuclear energy can of course make a major contribution to
this battle against climate change," Barroso said at the
European Nuclear Energy Forum, which opened in Prague on
Thursday.
"Nuclear energy also helps to enhance EU's security of
energy supplies and it increases diversification of our energy
sources and reduces our dependence on imported gas," he said.
Some European Union countries have been turning in favour of
building new nuclear power stations to meet growing energy
demand and the need to cut carbon dioxide emissions blamed for
global warming.
But the EU has avoided giving guidance on the issue, given
opposition in some member states, such as the fiercely
anti-nuclear Austria.
France, in contrast, uses nuclear power as a source of 78
percent of its electricity. Britain is eyeing expansion beyond
its current 19 percent, and a number of former communist new
member-states plan to raise their nuclear power generating
capacity.
The east European nations are much more dependent on Russian
natural gas than the entire EU, which takes a quarter of its gas
from Russia, and also face electricity shortages.
Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, which seeks to
complete 2 nuclear units and build another one, said nuclear
energy was necessary to meet energy security goals.
"Several years ago, supporters of nuclear energy were looked
upon as witches, now we are discussing it with top EU
officials," Fico said. "It is absolutely clear that we will not
achieve energy security without nuclear energy."
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, hosting the forum,
said the EU would not meet its emissions goals without nuclear
expansion.
The EU aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions to at least 20
percent below 1990 levels by 2020, but by then many of its
existing nuclear power stations, which have virtually no
emissions, will have closed.
Barroso said there was no clear guidance on nuclear in the
carbon dioxide plan.
"Honestly, one cannot say if our 2020 goals include nuclear
(energy) ... certainly such ambitious targets for greenhouse gas
solutions create a great opportunity for all carbon-free sources
including nuclear energy."
At present, 15 out of 27 EU member states produce
electricity from nuclear power plants.
(Writing by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Ben Tan)
