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The German environmental group BUND Niedersachsen is taking legal action against the state of Lower Saxony in an attempt to halt Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, from participating in the operation of a nuclear-fuel plant in Germany. The case revolves around a July permit that permits the Lingen plant to manufacture Russian-designed fuel under a license from Rosatom. BUND contends that this arrangement provides Moscow with access to vital infrastructure amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The dispute stems from a gap in Europe's sanctions against Russia. Germany permitted the deal not due to a desire for Rosatom's involvement in Lingen, but rather because the European Union has never sanctioned Russia's civilian nuclear sector. Consequently, there are no legal grounds under German nuclear law to object to the arrangement, according to the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy, and Climate Protection.

BUND seeks a court ruling to supersede the rationale for this decision. The July permit allows Advanced Nuclear Fuels, a subsidiary of France's Framatome, to expand the 45-year-old plant and build hexagonal fuel assemblies for Soviet-designed VVER-1000 reactors under a license from TVEL, Rosatom's fuel division. BUND highlights the deal as a security breach disguised as an energy contract.

In a statement, Olaf Bandt, head of BUND's national organization, expressed concern over Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine and warned of potential sabotage attempts in Germany.

BUND also argues that the deal grants Russia access to critical infrastructure in Lingen, as both production and quality control rely on Rosatom-supplied equipment. Susanne Gerstner, who leads BUND in Lower Saxony, claims that Rosatom's involvement was not adequately disclosed in the application and that the operator withheld crucial information from the public.

Despite expressing personal opposition to collaborating with Rosatom, Lower Saxony's Green environment minister, Christian Meyer, stated that he lacked a legal basis to reject the application due to the absence of sanctions and the federal security assessment's approval.