Swiss nuclear power plants may not be sold abroad

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The decision in the Committee for Environment, Energy and Spatial Planning of the National Council (Urek-N) was taken with 15 votes in favor and 8 against, the parliamentary services announced on Wednesday. The reason for the revision was a parliamentary initiative by SP country councilor Jacqueline Badran (ZH), to which both parliamentary committees agreed.

The purpose of the bill is to protect strategic energy infrastructure from scrutiny by foreign investors. From the view of the majority of the Commission, there is a fundamental public interest in ensuring that key energy infrastructure does not fall into foreign hands. Given the tense situation in the field of security of supply, this seems all the more important.

Most of the infrastructure belongs to the public sector

Urek-N wants to allow the sale abroad of hydropower plants, pipelines for the transport of gaseous combustibles or fuels, nuclear power plants and the electricity grid only under strictly defined conditions. Investments from abroad that do not lead to the investor gaining a dominant position in the company should also be allowed. A minority proposes to waive this exemption clause.

The minority of the Commission rejects the bill in principle because they see it as a problematic encroachment on economic freedom. The minority also argues that Switzerland depends on foreign investors to strengthen its security of supply.

In the consultation that ended a year ago, various business associations, the FDP and the GLP, criticized the bill. 90 percent of the electricity infrastructure already belongs to the public, they argued. (SDA)

Source:Blick