Brussels, 27/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - Gilles Gantelet, spokesman for the European Commission Vice-President responsible for energy and transport, Loyola de Palacio, confirmed on Monday that the Commission would be presenting legislative proposals "before the summer". These proposals would, on one hand, concern the establishment of common nuclear safety standards and, on the other, the dismantling of obsolete power plants. Speaking before the parliamentary committee on industry on 23 April (EUROPE of 24 April, p.9), Loyola de Palacio had pointed out that the Commission considers it necessary to close eight nuclear reactors in candidate countries for failure to bring the safety of the plants up to standard. There are two kinds of problems, she says: - the lack of will to bear the cost resulting from closure of the plants, and difficulties of available alternative energies, as some candidate countries depend on nuclear energy for 80% of their energy needs. Ms de Palacio then insisted that the lack of uniform standards, in both candidate countries and in the Union, means that rules should be set in place at Community level. The Commissioner had stressed the importance of fixing common safety rules before enlargement. Regarding the proposal relating to decommissioning, she aims to meet the wish expressed by some, mainly parliamentarians, to disassociate this problem from texts relating to the liberalisation of the electricity market.