WRITTEN QUESTION E-2682/00

by Matti Wuori (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Nuclear safety Temelin power station

Some extremely alarming facts have come to light concerning the safety culture at Temelin nuclear power station. The power station's completion was delayed by nearly ten years on account of technical problems and cost factors affecting the building work, the additional costs arising partly from Western safety standards. The power company CEZ has nonetheless brought forward the commissioning of the power station, inter alia with an eye to the company's future privatisation, and nuclear fuel began to be loaded into the Temelin 1 reactor at the beginning of July 2000.

Independent observers, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Greenpeace, have reported that there are serious technical and safety problems associated with the commissioning of Temelin. At the beginning of July, Greenpeace published internal documents concerning the safety culture at Temelin which give rise to doubts as to how safe the nuclear reactor will be when in use. The documents reveal that, in building the number one reactor, test procedures which accorded with safety standards were not adhered to, that these procedures were altered because of unsatisfactory results and that the management of Temelin resorted to temporary safety solutions. The IAEA meanwhile has criticised the inadequacy of inspections by the Czech nuclear safety authority (SUBJ) this year. According to the IAEA, the SUBJ cannot guarantee that sufficient impartial inspections will be carried out. The CEZ's final assessment of Temelin power station has been declared secret on commercial grounds, and because of this the SUBJ has not allowed Greenpeace to inspect the document in question.

This year the Czech Republic will already be exporting 25 % of its energy production. This being so, virtually the whole of Temelin power station's production capacity will be used to provide electricity for export. At the same time, however, in the EU accession negotiations the Czech Republic is asking for Community rules on the liberalisation of the energy market not to apply to the new Member States before 2007. According to these rules, trade in energy must be based on reciprocity.

Does the Commission consider that Temelin power station complies with technical and operational nuclear safety standards applicable in the EU Member States? Can the appropriate authorities in the Czech Republic guarantee that high standards will be adhered to? Have the appropriate parties in the Czech Republic forwarded information about nuclear safety to the Commission regularly? How is the Commission dealing with the issue of nuclear safety in the accession negotiations? What view does the Commission take of the possibility of delaying the liberalisation of the energy market in the applicant countries?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2000)

The issue at stake is to ensure that the Czech national standards and the national nuclear safety regulator (SUJB) impose a high level of nuclear safety, as repeatedly demanded in Agenda 2000 and (European) Council conclusions. In July, the Coreper mandated the Atomic Questions Group to address the issue of a high level of nuclear safety in the context of enlargement. The Commission is actively co-operating in this exercise.

The Honourable Member refers to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports on the situation in the Czech Republic. Such reports aim to identify shortcomings and to encourage specific improvements. The Commission welcomes the IAEA work to ensure the efficiency of the regulatory authority and monitor the safety environment in the Czech Republic, in view of the commissioning of the Temelin Nuclear power plant (NPP). The Commission has involved SUJB in various working groups with regulatory authorities of Member States to help strengthen SUJB's capacities further. The Commission has, already over a period of several years, provided assistance in developing a strong and independent nuclear regulatory body in the Czech Republic. The level of professional effectiveness of the national nuclear safety regulators in candidate countries will also be an element of attention under the current efforts undertaken by the Council. The Czech Republic has repeatedly forwarded information to the Commission.

The Honourable Member's attention is also drawn to the recent publication of the report on nuclear safety in candidate countries carried out by the Western European Nuclear Regulators' Association (WENRA) which concludes that the safety improvement programme for Temelin units 1-2 is the most comprehensive ever applied to a VVER-1000 reactor and that the two units should reach a safety level comparable to that of currently operating Western European reactors, provided a few safety issues which still require clarification are resolved.

The negotiations with the Czech Republic on the energy chapter were opened in November 1999. The Union's common position does not indicate any willingness of the Member States to grant extended transition periods on the liberalisation of the electricity market. The Lisbon European Council expressed the Union's intention to speed up the liberalisation process. This policy aim will also impact on the liberalisation process undertaken by candidate countries. Among the elements of the functioning of the internal energy market are reciprocity and compliance with environmental standards.