Brussels, 25/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's energy committee is calling for full and integral implementation of the recommendations made in the wake of the Fukushima stress tests.
In a draft resolution adopted by 48 votes to 5, with 7 abstentions, on Thursday 24 January 213, the energy committee calls for the urgent application of all the recommended nuclear safety improvements after the nuclear stress tests following the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi (Japan) in March 2011, the results of which were published in October 2012 (see EUROPE 10703). The MEPs say it is for the operators of nuclear plants to bear the cost of implementing the improvements and all other costs in the event of an accident. The draft resolution will now be submitted for a vote in plenary in February or March.
The rapporteur and chair of the energy committee, Amalia Sarator (EPP, Italy) said that getting a clearer idea of the standards in force throughout Europe will allow better surveillance and better preparation for any accidents that may occur in Europe. Nuclear plants must have proper equipment, and operators and competent authorities must as far as possible be able prevent accidents and intervene rapidly to limit the damage.
The nuclear stress tests showed that site-specific safety improvements are needed at virtually all sites in Europe, say the MEPs, calling for urgent introduction of the necessary updates. A leading role should be played by ENSREG (national nuclear safety regulatory bodies) in monitoring application of the improvements through a peer review and national action plans. The MEPs say that all the costs of improvements must be born by the nuclear operators, and not by taxpayers.
The committee welcomes the forthcoming updating of the nuclear safety directive, which is likely to be ambitious and lead to major improvements. They also hail the Commission's plan to introduce binding and non-binding measures for insurance and nuclear liability, pointing out that nuclear operators and owners of nuclear waste must have sufficient financial backing to cover all the costs they are responsible for and any damaged to the environment in the event of an accident.
The report stresses that the nuclear stress tests were of limited scope and do not cover emergency measures (despite their importance for restricting the fallout from nuclear accidents on the local population), adding that 47 of the 64 power stations and 111 or the 145 nuclear reactors in the EU are in areas where there are more than 100,000 inhabitants within a 30 kilometre radius (EH/transl.fl)