A TARRAGONA nuclear power plant has said an onsite incident does not endanger its staff, the nearby town or surrounding environment.

The Ascó I nuclear power plant shut down its unit on Thursday due to an increase in the levels of the internal drains of its containment area.

A spokesperson said: “it is not possible to access the area while operating at full power to determine its source.”

Once the plant has gone into what is known as hot standby, a thorough visual inspection will be conducted to understand the cause of the issue.

All important authorities have been notified.

READ MORE: Spain is urged to abandon plans to ditch nuclear power by 2035 amid rising economic and geopolitical pressures

The European Union has cautioned the Spanish government against blocking the controversial proposed €11 billion mega-merger of two of the country’s largest banks.

Spain’s economy minister, Carlos Cuerpo, announced on Tuesday that BBVA’s hostile takeover bid of rival Catalunya-based lender Banco Sabadell would be subject to a full review by cabinet ministers in a move likely to further delay the tie-up.  

The cabinet will have 30 days to decide whether there are reasons other than competition issues to impose further conditions or restrictions on the merger.

However, the deal has already been approved by the European Central Bank and the Spanish competition authority, the CNMC, with several provisions in place to protect customers.

READ MORE: Earthquake in Spain’s banking sector: BBVA’s hostile takeover of Banco Sabadell ‘threatens the wellbeing of the Spanish economy’

If completed, BBVA-Sabadell would become the country’s second largest bank behind CaixaBank, leapfrogging rivals Santander.

But the move has been subject to hostility, particularly from Spain’s socialist-led government, the Catalan business community and Sabadell’s board who fear the takeover would have a negative impact on customers and local businesses.

Cuerpo, speaking earlier this week, pointed to issues such as ‘job protection, financial inclusion and territorial cohesion’, the latter referring to Sabadell’s importance in the regional economies of Catalunya and Valencia.

He has also previously raised concerns that the move would leave Spain with just three large banks, leaving the country prone to financial instability.

“If green lights are given on both those fronts [ECB and CNMC], then – in the single market and even more so in the Banking Union – there is no basis to stop an operation based on a discretionary decision by a member state government,” said Olof Gill, a spokesperson for the European Commission.

Gill added that ‘banking sector consolidation – especially on a cross-border basis – will help to create a stronger, more integrated EU Banking Union, which is a vital pillar for building Europe’s future competitiveness’. 

In a statement, Basque-based BBVA said ‘the transaction serves the general interest of Catalunya, Spain and Europe’.

READ MORE: Spain’s Prime Minister announces ‘public consultation’ over controversial BBVA takeover of Sabadell Bank

It added: “BBVA has taken on unprecedented remedies in the Spanish financial sector, which makes the transaction even better for households, the self-employed, SMEs [Small and Medium-sized Enterprises] and corporates.”

Sabadell said: “Banco Sabadell remains focused on maximising value creation. We have a solid and credible long-term plan, with a presence in stable markets, and we are fully confident that our standalone strategy will deliver greater and more sustainable shareholder returns, while allowing our clients to benefit from a higher quality of service.”

In the coming days, the Spanish government will release the findings of a rare public consultation announced by prime minister Pedro Sanchez earlier this month. 

The government will not have the power to block the merger unless Sabadell’s shareholders refuse to accept the hostile takeover bid, in which case Madrid could veto the deal.

A VOTE on a proposal that would officially recognise Catalan, Basque and Galician as European Union languages has been postponed in a blow for Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez.

According to the Catalan News Agency, at least ten EU member states expressed reservations about the measure, despite intense lobbying from Spanish diplomats.

The contentious proposal would require the unanimous backing of the bloc’s 27 member countries to become law, but at least a third pushed Spain to withdraw the vote, citing legal and economic concerns.

Some nations fear that official recognition could set a destabilising precedent for other minority languages across Europe.

Other member states are worried about the financial implications of additional translation and interpretation, with the EU currently spending more than €1 billion per year translating documents into its 24 officially recognised languages.

Prior to today’s debate, Finland’s Minister for European Affairs, Joakin Strand, said: “Linguistic diversity is important and we want to continue discussing it, but I hope we do not have to vote today because I do not think the issue is ripe for a vote.”

READ MORE: Linguistic furore in Brussels as Spain’s PM Pedro Sanchez tries to make Catalan, Basque and Galician official EU languages

Only Denmark and Slovenia had publicly backed Spain’s proposal, with several other nations, including France, Sweden and Germany, reportedly flagging potential risks implicated in any potential law change. 

France’s minister delegate for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad, told the press: “I know that this is a very important issue for our Spanish friends.

“We want to find a solution, to move forward with our Spanish friends. But it has to be done with consensus and with respect for European law and European legal texts.”

The decision could have a significant political impact for Sanchez’s government at home.

The proposal for the EU to officially recognise Spain’s co-official languages is a key part of the deal struck in 2023 between Sanchez’s socialist PSOE party and Junts per Catalunya, a Catalan separatist party led by Carles Puigdemont, the controversial pro-independence leader and fugitive from Spanish justice.

In exchange for key concessions, such as the recognition of co-official languages and the divisive Catalan amnesty law, Junts per Catalunya and other regional parties, such as the left-wing, pro-independence Esquerra Republicana (ERC) and Basque nationalist EH Bildu, agreed to prop up Sanchez’s unstable coalition government in congress.

Catalan separatists have become increasingly irritated at the lack of progress. An initial proposal put forward in the summer of 2023 was snubbed by the EU, with diplomats asking for more time and information to consider the proposals. 

The Spanish government have vowed to continue to fight for official recognition.