European Parliament

Flaws make restart of two Belgian nuclear plants ‘hazardous’: Study

Friday, January 11, 2013

Restarting two Belgian nuclear power plants which have been shut since the discovery of micro-cracks in their reactor vessels would be a hazardous move with potentially “catastrophic consequences”, according to a new study commissioned by the Green Party group in the European Parliament.

“A possible failure of the reactor due to sudden crack growth in case of local thermal stresses cannot be excluded and would have catastrophic consequences, especially in the vicinity of densely populated and high-economic activity areas,” it says.

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EU commission nuclear waste plans 'full of gaps'

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Green MEPs say the commission's draft proposals on a nuclear waste directive contains "serious and alarming gaps."

EU energy commissioner Oettinger will unveil the commission's ideas for a directive on the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste on November 3.

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MEPs vote to cut 2011 spending on ITER nuclear fusion project

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Members of the European Parliament's budget committee on Monday night voted to cut planned funding for the ITER experimental nuclear fusion project in 2011, the Green group in the European Parliament said Tuesday. The budget committee adopted an amendment to cut the ITER budget by Eur 57 million to Eur304.76 million ($419.77 million) in 2011 in a revision to the EU's research budget.

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EU to propose radioactive waste law by year-end

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The European Commission will table a legislative proposal on the treatment of radioactive waste before the end of the year, commission president José Manuel Barroso told a conference on nuclear energy in Paris on Monday.

Energy commissioner Günther Oettinger hinted at legislation on nuclear waste management at a European Parliament hearing in January. He said setting the "highest possible" safety standards for disposal would be a priority. "Further costs cannot be a consideration," he warned.

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Nuclear lobby buoyant as Europe warms up to atomic energy

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The revival of atomic energy in Europe and a new nuclear-friendly mood in both the EU Commission and the EU Parliament has given the industry's powerful lobby in Brussels a
shot in the arm.

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