German environmental group sues to block Rosatom-linked nuclear fuel permit

BERLIN, Sept 11 (Reuters) - German environmental group BUND Niedersachsen has sued the state of Lower Saxony, seeking to overturn expansion of the Lingen nuclear fuel plant because it believes the involvement of Russia's Rosatom poses a security risk, it said on Friday. 

The case challenges the regional state's clearance for a subsidiary of France's Framatome to produce nuclear fuel rods in the northern German town of Lingen under a licensing agreement with the state-backed Russian firm. 

Lower Saxony's environment ministry, with guidance from the federal environment ministry, had granted approval subject to certain conditions despite political concerns over Russia's war in Ukraine.

BUND, collaborating with anti-nuclear group .ausgestrahlt, said the permit was the result of procedural errors and would pose a security risk because of Rosatom's role. 

In their case, brought before the regional state's upper administrative court in Lueneburg, they argue the environmental screening relied on outdated documents and that Rosatom's involvement was not fully disclosed in filings.

"Because both manufacturing in Lingen and parts of quality control are carried out with machines supplied by Rosatom, production and inspection could be manipulated," BUND Germany Chair Olaf Bandt said in a statement. 

Berlin has said it viewed the cooperation critically, but the decision was consistent with current laws and the instrument to address the concerns would be stricter EU sanctions.

The Lower Saxony environment ministry said the legal challenge would be thoroughly assessed. 

It also directed Reuters to a July statement by Lower Saxony's environment minister Christian Meyer, saying he was fundamentally opposed to working with Rosatom but that there had been no legal grounds for denying administrative clearance.

Rosatom did not immediately reply to requests for comment. 

Framatome has said the collaboration was an interim step to help customers operating Russian-designed reactors diversify away from direct Russian purchases until it develops its own production technology.

(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Ludwig Burger; Editing by Susan Fenton)