Ministry of Mining and Energy reacts to an article published in the Vreme weekly "Radioactive monitoring" in which a series of incorrect information is stated, such as the statement that the French company Aegis was hired "to draw up a plan for the construction of a nuclear power plant" by the Ministry of Mining and Energy, which is called the "resigned work orderer" and which is "quickly completing everything it can". The text misleads the readers by implying that the implementation of the Preliminary Technical Study to consider the peacetime application of nuclear energy in Serbia was illegally carried out quickly, two months before the moratorium on the construction of nuclear power plants was lifted, without informing the public and public discussions, which is completely false. Intimidation of citizens is inappropriate and dangerous that the preparation of the Preliminary Technical Study will have "consequences that will be worth billions and billions of euros in the future" and linking the study that should show the potential for the application of the nuclear program to the horror and tragedy that happened in Novi Sad. This clearly and unequivocally insinuates misfortune and tragedy, which is not in accordance with any code of professional media reporting.
The Ezis company was not hired to create a "plan for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Serbia", but to perform a market analysis of the available technologies of small modular and conventional reactors in the world as part of the Preliminary Technical Study, as part of a consortium in which the contract holder is EDF, the French electricity company and one of the world's nuclear powers with 56 active nuclear reactors. The consortium was chosen transparently in a public procurement procedure in which seven international bidders from different parts of the world participated.
The consortium was engaged in September 2024, while the Government of the RS was in full mandate, and the contract defined the deadline for the completion of the Preliminary Study, the second quarter of 2025, so that the study is being prepared according to the agreed dynamics, respecting the deadlines, without "speeding with the aim of passing exactly when the red light turns off" as the text maliciously states.
It is maliciously and baselessly stated that the only reason why the Ministry of Mining and Energy is considering small modular reactors as one of the potential solutions for the introduction of a nuclear program is "fulfilling the wishes of the person who performs the function of the President of the Republic", although it is a known fact that small modular reactors are currently being developed and considered by almost all the world's nuclear powers such as the USA, the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation, as a solution that can be more quickly available and more easily applied in order to ensure the necessary amounts of base energy.
Serbia is accused of lack of transparency, lack of public discussion on the subject of nuclear energy and the organization of events that are "more hidden than a meeting of BIA employees", because the Ministry of Mining and Energy organized a series of public discussions and consultations during the drafting of strategic documents and proposed amendments to the law, in which the professional public, citizens and the media participated.
On July 25, 2024, the Government of the RS adopted the "Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan" (INEKP), which introduced nuclear energy into the national electricity mix of Serbia as a base load energy source in one of the scenarios. INEKP passed all stages of the public discussion.
The Ministry of Mining and Energy prepared the "Strategy for the Development of the Energy Sector of the Republic of Serbia until 2040 with projections until 2050", adopted by the National Assembly in November 2024, which clarifies the Government's approach to assessing the implementation of the civilian nuclear program in Serbia and which also passed the public hearing procedure.
Amendments to the Law on Energy, adopted at the end of last year in the National Assembly foresee the process of implementing the nuclear program in a structured and systematic way using the International Atomic Energy Agency's three-phase approach. The proposal for amendments to the Law on Energy also went through the process of public consultation and public discussion.
These changes repealed the Law on the Prohibition of the Construction of Nuclear Power Plants in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which prohibited the construction of nuclear power plants, facilities for the production of nuclear fuel and facilities for the processing of spent fuel for nuclear power plants in the FRY. The ban related to: making investment decisions, developing investment programs and technical documentation for the construction of nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel production facilities and spent fuel processing facilities for nuclear power plants.
However, the provisions of this law did not refer to scientific research and research-development works, mining and geological-research works, geological-seismic research and personnel education.
Therefore, the fact that the moratorium on the construction of nuclear reactors was lifted at the end of 2024 does not call into question the legality of cooperation and exchange of knowledge in the field of nuclear energy between EDF and Serbian colleagues.
It is important to note that due to the obstructions of the opposition parties, the public debate in the parliament was missed, since the opposition MPs did not allow the National Assembly session to be held, where the amendments to the Law on Energy were supposed to be discussed. Also, through a high-quality public discussion, which preceded the adoption of the law in the National Assembly, a lot of useful comments were received from the expert public, which further improved the text of the amendments to the Energy Act.
In addition, the Ministry initiated the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed on July 10, 2024, and which sets the framework for inter-institutional cooperation and knowledge exchange in the fields of nuclear energy, human resource development, engagement of interested parties, radiation protection, nuclear safety and safeguards, nuclear fuel management, etc., between five ministries and all relevant members of the scientific and academic community in Serbia, including more than ten faculties of science and technology in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Kragujevac. The signing was attended by the Prime Minister of the RS Government, ministers, the media and the professional public, while expert discussions were also held at the event.
In addition, just a few days ago, a series of workshops was organized in cooperation between MRE and EDF at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, attended by hundreds of participants, many of whom are signatories of the aforementioned Memorandum, including the academic community from all over the country.
Finally, we emphasize that the Ministry of Mining and Energy was not at any time asked for a comment regarding the allegations made in the text "Radioactive monitoring" so that before publishing the text we would have the opportunity to provide citizens with accurate and precise information, unlike the "horror" that you unprofessionally, maliciously and inaccurately marketed to your readers.
