European Energy Commission directs stricter rues on nuclear reactor safety

Europe orders nuclear power operators to be more open on safety issues http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/news/international-news/124795-europe-orders-nuclear-power-operators-to-be-more-open-on-safety-issues.htmlby ClickGreen staff. Published Wed 11 Jun 2014 The European Union has agreed new laws to tighten up safety standards and improve supervision of nuclear facilities in response to the lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
For the first time a legally binding “safety objective” will cover all existing and new nuclear installations across Europe.

The new regulations include the requirement for greater transparency and to provide better public information on the safety record of nuclear sites.

In March 2011, an earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused the world’s worst nuclear accident in 25 years, releasing radiation over Fukushima and forcing more than 150,000 people from their homes.

The European Union, in response, carried out a series of stress tests to examine the resilience of nuclear power stations and used the results to draft a response plan based on the latest international standards.

In March this year, ClickGreen revealed how nuclear power generator EDF Energy had not informed local residents that a safety inspection at its Dungeness nuclear power station had found its existing flood defence measures could be overwhelmed by the sea.

The company also failed to tell the local population that a condition of its continued operation was that it must shut down its reactor immediately should a severe weather warning be issued.

There are 132 nuclear reactors currently in operation in Europe.

Today’s announcement of an agreement for this new Directive was reached under the Greek Presidency, after “delicate and strenuous negotiation”, since the safety of nuclear installations is for member states an important matter of national sovereignty.

European Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger said: “Nuclear safety is paramount to all European citizens. We need to put all our efforts into making sure that the highest safety standards are followed in every single nuclear power plant across the EU.

“The new Nuclear Safety Directive, once formally adopted, will help ensure continuous improvement of the safety of our nuclear installations.”

The new nuclear safety architecture provides that member states implement a regulatory framework requiring accident prevention, and should an accident occur, mitigating the consequences of radioactive releases.

It also reinforces crucial components of the nuclear safety system, such as the independent role and function of the regulatory authorities, the safety peer reviews mechanism and the promotion of safety culture.

Specifically, the Directive:

• Introduces higher standards for nuclear safety in Europe, as it requires that member states take prevention measures for any type of accident, no matter how much unlikely may be considered

• Introduces topical peer reviews of the nuclear installations throughout Europe every six years, in coordination among member states. The first topical peer review is scheduled for 2017

• Requires operators to have infrastructure and suitable arrangements for accident management and emergency response

• Requires the strengthening of the role, function and effective independence of the regulatory authorities

• Introduces for member states the legal requirement to promote and enhance nuclear safety culture

• Introduces requirements on transparency, public information, public participation and cooperation between member states, nuclear and non-nuclear, in the vicinity of nuclear installations.

The Chairman of the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (EEAE), Christos Housiadas, commented: “All member states, nuclear and non-nuclear, had an equal opportunity to participate in this negotiation, as the consequences of nuclear accidents do not stop at borders.”