Brussels, 21/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Following events in Japan, the overwhelming majority of member states back stress tests for the various types of threat, ranging from seismic activity and floods to terrorist attacks, to the 143 nuclear reactors operating in the EU and also to projects under development. While the situation at the Fukushima power plant has considerably improved, though it remains uncertain, the Hungarian Presidency and the European Commission want, above all, to reassure.
Meeting in extraordinary session in Brussels on Monday 21 March to discuss the various crises - the civil war in Libya and the Japanese nuclear crisis - European energy ministers concluded that the EU energy markets had not yet felt the full effects, Hungarian Minister Tamas Fellegi, who chaired the meeting, said afterwards. “Member states have been able to take action with their own mechanisms and resources, at least in terms of volume”, he added, repeating the message of solidarity from member states and their willingness to help Japan. Fellegi also highlighted the shared desire in the Council to send a message of reassurance to European citizens who have been extremely worried by pictures of the Japanese disaster and by the doom-saying of Commissioner Günther Oettinger, and the return of the heated debate on the dangers of nuclear energy.
Member states agreed also to carry out, by the end of 2011, an analysis of the risks that the EU's 143 operating reactors could face. “A good number of member states made it abundantly clear that, given the circumstances, these operations should be carried out before the end of the year”, Fellegi said. The European Nuclear Safety Regulator Group (ENSREG), working with the Commission will draft the technical arrangements for these stress tests, in the light of the events in Japan. On Monday, the Council noted the all that had to be taken into consideration: seismic areas, floods, tidal waves, the age and design of reactors and power stations, cooling systems, the design of emergency systems, back-up generators and the human element, Fellegi explained. The risks for current power stations and also the design of future power plants will have to be assessed, he said, stating that the drafting of the stress tests will be based on the work of international bodies and on increased cooperation between national regulatory authorities.
Hailing the shared desire among all member states that the safety of the EU's nuclear power stations “should be of the highest possible level”, and, therefore, that there should be a move towards common standards, Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger highlighted his idea of extending the assessment criteria to include risks that have not hitherto been considered, such as a plane crash, terrorist attack and also two simultaneous natural disasters, as happened in Japan. The commissioner, who hopes to finalise the technical criteria by June, with a first draft by the end of April, stressed the need for independent assessment of safety, so that the findings will carry the greatest authority to ensure pubic confidence. He also repeated his desire for a review, ahead of the timescale set for 2014 and taking on board the lessons of what happened in Japan and the stress tests, of the provisions of the 2009/71/Euratom directive on nuclear safety, which is due to be transposed and implemented by July. (E.H./transl.rt)