WRITTEN QUESTION E-2666/00

by Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (ELDR) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Safety of nuclear power stations in the applicant countries

The very controversial Temelin nuclear power station in the Czech Republic is currently being made ready to go on stream. It was built in the 1980s on the basis of a Soviet design. Last week, after years of debate about the safety of that nuclear power station, authorisation was issued in a suspicious manner. Accordingly, for a few months, reactor 1 of the power station may run on a test basis, despite powerful protests from citizens and the concern expressed by President Havel and the Austrian Government.

1. Does the Commission agree with me that, with a view to the accession of the applicant countries, Community standards relating to the safety of nuclear reactors in the European Union, including minimum safety requirements as regards design, construction and use, are urgently required?

2. What is the Commission planning to do, in the light of the accession negotiations, in order to prevent the commissioning of nuclear power stations, such as Temelin, which are unsafe?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(29 November 2000)

Construction of the Temelin nuclear power plant (NPP) was started in the 1980s and later halted. Parts of the plant are still under construction. Electricity production is planned to start in 2001 (Unit 1) and 2002 (Unit 2). The reactor is of an upgraded VVER 1000 design and will incorporate new safety-related systems of recent design.

The Community has repeatedly recalled the need for nuclear power plants to respect high nuclear safety standards. The Commission has taken in Agenda 2000 a clear position in this respect. The December 1999 Helsinki European Council recalled the importance of high standards of nuclear safety and called on the Council to consider how to address the issue of nuclear safety in the framework of the enlargement process. The Council is currently looking into this matter, drawing on the expertise existing in the Member States, and the Commission is supporting this process fully. Nuclear safety is the national competence of Member States. This principle applies to candidate countries by analogy.

The Temelin NPP is one of very few nuclear power plants that might be commissioned in the period prior to the accession of candidate countries. The Commission has no means to prevent the commissioning of specific plants under the authority of the national regulatory responsibility within a candidate country. However, the Commission will continue to work

with the Czech authorities to assist the continuous existence of a strong and independent nuclear regulatory body, capable of enforcing a high level of nuclear safety. This is a key element of the Commission's responsibility to work towards a successful finalisation of the ongoing accession negotiations. According to Agenda 2000, the Temelin reactor type has been classified in the category of reactors upgradeable at reasonable cost.

The Commission would also like to draw the Honourable Member's attention to the reply given to Written Question E-2682/00(1) by Mr Wuori on the safety of the Temelin NPP.

(1) See page 6.