Parbeszed turns to EC over Debrecen battery plant

Benedek Javor, the party’s advisor on European Union affairs, told a press conference on Tuesday that the environmental impact and potential risks were not assessed adequately, and a long-term impact study was missing completely.

The plan was green-lighted without consideration of its impact on underground water reserves and the connected ecosystems, Javor said. The water reserves around Debrecen are already overused, and would warrant a review of already existing permits, he said. Approving access for a plant with a daily demand of at least 20,000-25,000 cubic metres of water runs afoul of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive, he said.

The plant will also impact protected areas by further depleting underground water reserves, he said.