Nuclear safety cooperation
Safety not the focus as MEPs vote on EU nuclear relations with other countries
The EP's energy committee today adopted its opinion on the EU's 'Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation', which is supposed to provide support for nuclear safety activities in third countries. The Greens regretted the outcome of the vote, which failed to call for the funds to be directed towards the most urgent nuclear safety issues in third countries - notably in Fukushima - and would instead use the instrument to support nuclear power outside the EU. After the vote, Green co-president and nuclear energy spokesperson Rebecca Harms stated:
"This instrument was devised to provide assistance for dealing with nuclear safety priorities such as those following the Chernobyl catastrophe but it has unfortunately become little more than a further subsidy tool for the global nuclear industry.
"The Greens believe the funds should be used solely for nuclear safety priorities - such as supporting the efforts to deal with the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster. In particular, the funds should not be used to finance lifetime extensions for ageing and unsafe nuclear reactors in third countries. Unfortunately, MEPs on the energy committee failed to support Green proposals to this end. As such, this means the instrument is being used to increase risk rather than improve safety.
"Scandalously, MEPs failed to support Green proposals to ensure half of the foreseen funds (€631 million) be allocated to the remediation and stabilisation of the Fukushima disaster site. Dealing with the ongoing consequences of the Fukushima catastrophe is clearly top of the list of global nuclear safety priorities and the failure to reflect is an indictment of the EU's cooperation instrument. This comes on top of an earlier decision by MEPs on the committee to exclude a visit to Fukushima from the programme of a delegation to Japan next year."
