According to Vice President of the European Commission (EC) Frans Timmerman, the Commission will stand behind Bulgaria if it decides to continue with the project for the construction of nuclear power plant Belene.
Timmerman said that nuclear energy will play a role in the future that the EC has nothing against its use, but each country must decide for itself, adding that nuclear energy has a future, and coal will soon have no history.
Timmerman, who is responsible for the EU Green Deal, is convinced that green energy will ensure lower electricity prices and that natural gas is a good solution. The deal requires a shift from coal to other fuels or other energy models. This puts Bulgaria in front of the prospect of closing Mini Maritsa East coal mining complex, which is why the miners blocked the center of Sofia earlier this week.
The indicative date for coal phase-out in Bulgaria is 2038. However, the Government has not yet abandoned the option of negotiating with the EC for 2040 deadline.
