By Emily Waterfield ( January 17, 2013, 15:56 GMT | Insight) -- The European Commission's energy department has confirmed that it will propose new laws for nuclear safety in the EU this year. This promise of new proposals, set out in the commission’s 2013 work plan, provides some reassurance to investors faced with mounting questions about the future of nuclear power in Europe.
Brussels – The European Commission’s energy department has confirmed that it will propose new laws for nuclear safety in the EU this year.
This promise of new proposals, set out in the commission’s 2013 work plan, provides some reassurance to investors faced with mounting questions about the future of nuclear power in Europe.
Upcoming legislation listed in the energy department’s ‘management plan’ includes a proposal for a directive on nuclear insurance and liability. Energy commissioner Günther Oettinger has been criticised for his support of mandatory insurance for nuclear operators, which opponents say would harm EU competitiveness.
Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear power completely by 2020 – together with the temporary closure of two reactors in Belgium last year after cracks were discovered – has increased pressure from environmentalists to replace atomic plants with renewable-energy projects across the EU.
Commission officials have also questioned how appropriate it would be for the executive to draft new laws on nuclear power, rather than relying on international agreements.
But the 2013 plan states that “nuclear energy can play a role in enhancing competitiveness, promoting sustainable development, fighting climate change and reducing external energy dependence.”
It adds that each country remains free to decide on its own energy mix, but that the commission has a duty to develop “the most advanced legal framework for nuclear energy, meeting the highest standards for safety, security and non-proliferation.”
With this in mind, the management plan schedules publication of a new nuclear-safety proposal for this year. A first revision of existing legislation is pencilled in for the spring, it says.
This proposal will draw on the results of nuclear stress tests, carried out last year to check the safety of all EU reactors. It is being drafted in line with ongoing debates about changes to international nuclear-safety standards (see here).
A communication on “emergency preparedness and response for a nuclear accident in the EU” will also draw on the stress-test results. This non-binding strategy paper will give governments and industry new guidelines for handling a nuclear disaster in Europe....
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