Nuclear energy

The European Parliament today failed spectacularly to adopt a resolution on nuclear energy, following a debate yesterday. The Greens criticised this as being blatant evidence of incapacity to respond to the nuclear desaster in Fukushima. After the vote, Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms said:

"The failed vote today revealed the depth of the differences between pro and anti nuclear MEPs in the European Parliament. During the vote Conservatives and Liberals continued their business as usual in terms of nuclear hypocrisy. They were unwilling to back the one and only way to deal with the persisting concerns with nuclear safety: namely, phasing out nuclear power and enhanced development of renewables. All  MEPs agreed to the obvious that in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster nuclear safety has to be tightened, but today's vote showed that Conservatives and Liberals still cling to nuclear dreams as regards Europe's energy future.

"We do not need any more accidents before it becomes clear that 'zero risk' does not exist with nuclear and we regret the failure of MEPs to clearly state this today. There is a real risk that the announced stress tests are used as a tranquilizer for worried citizens and that they are a attempt to rebuild public acceptance for this unacceptable technology."

Green energy spokesperson Claude Turmes added:

"Phasing-out nuclear power and meeting our climate change and energy security challenges are realistic and compatible goals, and not a Green pipe-dream. There is now a multitude of scenarios showing how Europe can have an economy based 100% on renewable energy by 2050 if the right political decisions are taken. And the EU would certainly reconnect with citizens if it advocated a nuclear free and 100% renewable energy based Europe."