Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A VOTE WILL be held today to decide if the approval for funding for a nuclear power station in Somerset, Britain breached EU law.
EU Commissioners will examine if the deal between the French energy company EDF and the British government constitutes illegal state aid.
Last year, the British government signed a €18.9-billion deal with the French energy giant to build two reactors at Hinkley Point C in southwestern England to meet Britain’s future energy needs.
The plant which would be 150 miles from the Irish coast – has been described as one of the world’s most ambitious nuclear deals.
It’s seen as a key boost to an industry brought to its knees by the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.
However, environmentalists also see it as an unnecessary bow to nuclear energy just when the use of renewables, such as wind and solar power, is beginning to take hold.
Illegal State Aid
The deal would see EDF being offered a minimum price for the electricity from the plant for 35 years.
It would also give the company a state credit guarantee of £10 billion from the British government.
Last year the commission stated that the “aid would in principle be incompatible under EU state aid rules”.
Today’s decision could have huge consequences for the future of Europe’s energy policy.
Additional reporting AFP.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The what’s in it for me party
I think that’s called Fine Gael or is it Finns Fail
Think I’d give my first preference to the sex party and my second to the hemp party. Glad to see they’ve formed a coalition. They need to get the Rock n Roll party involved and they could really shake things up
Mandatory voting?! What a terrible idea forcing the uniterested and uninformed to cast a vote
There was no problem getting the uninformed to vote in the UK last week
its a shame they didn’t have it in the uk last week, it might have changed things. nothing wrong with making it compulsary tweety, it gets people to think about what they are voting for. not like last weeks nonsense..immigrant this and that. what absolute waffle.
Uninterested and uninformed is just another way of saying lazy ***** who couldnt be arsed voting. I’m all in favour of mandatory voting if it means those that arent bothered voting get fined.
Compulsory voting just means people will turn up and spoil their votes. #dumbaussies
Compulsory voting means uninformed people get to vote, often parroting what the tabloid media is crapping on about. It also means issues can be made up/ overstated to garner votes – for example Tony Abbotts ‘stop the boats’ bullshite and off shore processing for refugees ( far more refugees in Australia arrive in planes than boats, but you can’t make as big a noise about that).
The tabloid media has far too much power because of compulsory voting, and that means Murdoch and Packer pretty much control the country
Cool I’ll go for Brexit
that flux party voting app thing could be the future. one of the great problems is that when we elect our politicians they then have a five year mandate with free reign to do what ever the hell they want. this app would really give people an ongoing say in massive decisions (eg burining unsecured bondholders) that are currently out of our hands.
I couldn’t see any of our political mob as Sex Party material! Now the Flux Party sounds sorta familiar alright!
Joan burton
Boris was rumoured to be running for the sex party, but he pulled out too early.
They should join forces and call themselves ‘The All Night Party’.
have your say