Zapatero has ruled out renewing the programme for the expansion of nuclear energy

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Spanish president, stated that the government had no plans to renew the programme for the development or expansion of nuclear energy. This statement was made when he was asked about his position on nuclear energy and the Kyoto agreement during a meeting organized by the ‘New Economic Forum’.

Zapatero said that ‘nuclear energy keeps on producing serious problems’ and cited as an example the problem of nuclear waste to which there is no efficient solution.

Zapatero instead supported the development of renewable energy sources and said that there should be a European energy policy.

Cristina Narbona, the Spanish Environment Minister, has also ruled out the use of nuclear energy in order to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere in an attempt to fulfil the quotas set by the Kyoto agreement.

Greenpeace, the Environmental Organisation, praised the Spanish government for abandoning the expansion of nuclear energy and supporting renewable sources of energy but asked for a clear timetable to be set out for the closure of nuclear power stations in Spain.

Related: Renewable energy plan in Spain