Austria clarifies position on Paks nuclear plant riverbed sill

The Austrian government has clarified its position regarding the construction of a riverbed sill near the Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary. While Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar previously stated that Austria had filed a complaint with the European Commission over the project, the Austrian Ministry for Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure denied filing a formal complaint in Brussels.

Despite the denial of a formal complaint, the project has become a subject of international discussion. The European Commission, the Danube Commission, and several Danube-riparian countries are engaging in consultations with Hungarian authorities through the EU Danube Region Strategy (EUSDR). The Danube Commission, which oversees navigation from Germany to the Black Sea, has expressed concerns regarding the sill's height and its impact on the river's width, requesting modifications to ensure continuous navigation.

The Hungarian government implemented the project, costing approximately six billion forints, as an emergency economic measure to ensure sufficient water levels for cooling the nuclear plant during historical low-water periods. Because it was treated as an emergency measure, the standard permitting and notification processes for neighboring countries and EU institutions were bypassed.