Vattenfall on the Ruling of the German Federal Constitutional Court

Vattenfall welcomes today’s ruling of the German Constitutional Court. It confirms that the immediate shutdown without compensation of the nuclear power plants operated by Vattenfall was not in compliance with the German law.

The ruling demonstrates that the Thirteenth Law Amending the Atomic Energy Act would have had to include a compensation.

The Federal Constitutional Court has limited itself to stating the unconstitutional nature of the accelerated shutdown. There has been no decision on amount, type and time of compensation for Vattenfall.

"Vattenfall welcomes the court decision as it clarifies the legal situation in Germany. The court acknowledges the right for Vattenfall as a foreign and state-owned company to bring the claim before the court as well as a right to compensation by the German government. The closure of nuclear power as such has not been considered contrary to German law. We are pursuing the process in Washington where Vattenfall’s right to compensation will be established, a decision is expected by the summer”, says Anne Gynnerstedt, Vattenfall’s General Counsel.

In 2012, Vattenfall lodged a constitutional complaint against the Thirteenth Law Amending the Atomic Energy Act of 31 July 2011. The complaint did not argue against the German Energiewende, but argued against the decision to decommission, without compensation, the nuclear power plants operated by Vattenfall as a result of the Thirteenth Law Amending the Atomic Energy Act.

From Vattenfall’s Press Office, telephone: +46 8 739 50 10.