"Czech Anti-monopoly Authority Suspends Nuclear Power Plant Contract"

Czech anti-trust watchdogs have temporarily suspended contracts between South Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and the Czech government to build nuclear power plants worth billions of dollars, AFP reported.

Martin Svalda, spokesman for the Czech Competition Office, said he had taken "preemptive action" in response to a proposal from France Electric Power Corp, EDF and Westinghouse, which is suing KHNP for intellectual property rights over nuclear power plant technology.

He explained that the move would give time to evaluate both sides' objections to the outcome of the nuclear bid.

"It does not, however, imply how we will decide on this matter," it said.

The spokesperson also added that Czech monopoly authorities could not intervene after the main contract for the construction of two nuclear power plants was signed.

Meanwhile, the Czech Electric Power Corporation, which ordered the project, said it was "confident that it complied with the relevant laws in the process of selecting preferred negotiators."

The so-called "Team Korea," centered on the Korean government and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, was selected as the preferred bidder in July in a bid to build two new Czech nuclear power plants worth a total of 24 trillion won.

France's EDF and Westinghouse, which competed at the time of the bidding, each filed an objection with Czech anti-trust authorities against the selection result.