Brussels, 16/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The lessons of the Japanese nuclear catastrophe, the safety of nuclear power in Europe and the future of the EU's energy mix were the subject of debate on Tuesday 15 March between EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger and the members of the European Parliament's energy committee, chaired by Herbert Reul (EPP, Germany). The energy commissioner noted agreement in a coordination meeting earlier the same day among member states, nuclear safety authorities and the nuclear industry on the idea of subjecting all nuclear power plants in the EU to stress tests for all types of threat, ranging from earthquakes and tidal waves to terrorist attack and electricity blackouts. Oettinger told the MEPs that his department would be preparing safety assessment criteria by June 2011 that will apply in the EU and the stress tests will be carried out on all nuclear power plants in the EU by the end of the year. A full range of crisis situations will be proposed to some of the EU's neighbours, Switzerland, Turkey and Russia.
Alejo Vidal Quadras (EPP, Spain), Giles Chichester (ECR, UK) and Edit Herczog (S&D, Hungary), the leading pro-nuclear spokespersons at the European Parliament, said that the EU should not give way to panic and should understand the precise reasons for the Japanese catastrophe before making any long-term decisions about its energy mix in the future. Rebecca Harms (Greens/EFA, Germany), Matthias Groote (S&D, Germany) and Fiona Hall (ALDE, UK) are concerned about the fact it is impossible in practice to shut down a nuclear reactor in meltdown and are calling for comprehensive crisis management systems covering the durability of emergency cooling systems and ensuring spent fuel is securely stored as safely as possible at the power plants themselves. Angelika Niebler (EPP, Germany) and Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (ALDE, Germany) called for greater harmonisation of safety standards, including shared liability, and want urgent research into other forms of energy to replace nuclear. Lena Ek (ALDE, Sweden) asked how the Japanese disaster would impact on the EU's energy mix in the future. In an interview on German radio earlier in the day, Commissioner Oettinger surprised people by calling for research into whether the EU can meet all its energy needs without the use of nuclear energy in the relatively near future. In respect of subsidiarity (letting member states decide for themselves about their energy mix and whether to use nuclear power), the European Commission was always very cautious about the nuclear question in the past, with the head of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, saying he was an “agnostic” about nuclear energy.
Awaiting a wider debate, Oettinger promised to present the stress test criteria to the EP as soon as they are available, with a preliminary draft expected soon after Easter. The stress test scenarios will take account of the age, type and location of the power plants. The commissioner said that any decisions on the early closure of nuclear power plants or a ban on the building of new power stations were in the hands of national governments and public opinion. Oettinger called for caution and for not rushing to hasty conclusions before understanding the details of the Japanese catastrophe. (E.H./transl.fl)