France is to close its oldest nuclear power plant, which is at the center of a row with neighboring Germany and Switzerland, by the end of this year, a green minister said on Sunday.

"The timeline is one the president has repeated to me several times, it's 2016," said Emmanuelle Cosse, who joined President Francois Hollande's Cabinet last month, referring to the Fessenheim plant.

Cosse was speaking to French media after a row sparked on Friday when Germany demanded that France close down Fessenheim following reports that a 2014 incident was worse than earlier portrayed.