Hungary to Classify Paks NPP Expansion Deal for 30 Years

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban delivers his annual `State of Hungary` speech in Budapest, Hungary, 27 February 2015. Photo: EPA

Hungarian Parliament approved on Tuesday the classification of some data in the contract on the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant for a period of 30 years rather than 15.

Hungary will take EUR 10 B loan from Russia for the upgrade of its only nuclear power plant, which will be constructed by Rosatom, Daily News Hungary reports.

The legislation was approved by 130 MPs, largely coming from the ruling Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, while 62 MPs from the opposition parties voted against.

Fidesz justified the decision with the fact that Paks expansion would serve Hungarian energy security, so any attacks against the project would constitute threat to the country's national security.

The classification concerns data in contracts signed between Russian and Hungarian organisations and subcontractors, the implementation agreements and decisions during the preparation of the deal.

Hungarian Parliament had already extended the period of confidentiality from the standard ten years to 15 in December 2014, Budapest Business Journal reports.

Earlier, PM Orban expressed opposition against the EU's proposal to review intergovernmental agreements on energy projects signed by member states with third countries.

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