Environment and social context

The division of competences regarding communications activities related to the construction of a nuclear power plant is governed in detail by national and international regulations. Under the national regulations, public participation in the planning and development of a nuclear power plant is provided for in the Act on the provision of information on the environment and its protection, public participation in environmental protection, and environmental impact assessments (the EIA Act). Furthermore, the Atomic Law Act and the Act on preparing and implementing investments in nuclear power facilities and associated investments define who is responsible for activities related to public information, education and popularisation, as well as scientific, technical, and legal information with regard to nuclear power:

• According to the provisions of Article 5 of the Act on the provision of information about the environment and its protection, public participation in environmental protection, and environmental impact assessments, “Every person shall have the right to take part, on the conditions laid down in this Act, in the procedure that requires public participation”. Such participation is ensured through public consultations conducted during the procedure for obtaining a decision on environmental conditions, conducted by the competent authority in charge of the environmental protection.
• In the case of a nuclear power plant, responsibility for statutory public consultations lies with the General Director for Environmental Protection (Article 75 of the EIA Act). 
• Under Article 108 item 3 of the Atomic Law Act, “(the minister responsible for energy) carries out activities related to public information, education and popularisation, as well as scientific, technical, and legal information with regard to nuclear power”.
• Pursuant to Article 39m of the Atomic Law Act, the Investor shall establish a Local Information Centre no later than on the day on which a request for a construction permit is lodged. The centre will operate during the construction, commissioning, operational, and decommissioning phases of the nuclear power plant. The primary objective of the centre will be to gather and impart current information on the power plant operation and on the state of nuclear safety and radiological protection around the power plant facility.