German group seeks to prevent role of Russia's Rosatom in nuclear project

Oct 6 (Reuters) - German environmental organisation BUND said on Tuesday that it plans to ask a court to stop the planned expansion of a nuclear fuel plant that would allow cooperation with Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

• BUND said it would seek an emergency injunction to prevent the project from proceeding while its lawsuit against Lower Saxony, the state that initially approved the expansion, is considered by the courts.

• The group said it had serious doubts about the legality of the environmental impact assessment underpinning the approval by the state.

• Anti-nuclear campaign group .ausgestrahlt, which is collaborating with BUND on the case, warned that Rosatom could establish a foothold in Germany before the courts reach a final decision.

• Located in northwestern Germany, the Lingen fuel plant is one of the country's last remaining facilities linked to the nuclear fuel cycle.

• The case could become a test of Berlin's willingness and ability to keep Russian state-backed companies out of strategically sensitive parts of its energy sector.

• Germany's federal environment ministry reiterated its opposition to cooperation with Rosatom, but said the appropriate response would be EU sanctions on Russia's nuclear sector, for which there is currently not enough support among EU member states.

• Plant operator ANF, Rosatom and the state environment ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Cian Muenster, editing by Friederike Heine and Thomas Seythal)