EU Commissioner Oettinger presents proposals for a revision of the Nuclear Safety Directive
The Commissioner of the EU Commission for Energy, Günther Oettinger, has presented proposals for a revision of the Nuclear Safety Directive. Major points are based on proposals made by European regulatory bodies. These include ambitious and internationally outstanding safety targets and the introduction of a mutual peer review process among member states.
The Federal Environment Ministry comments on the proposals as follows: "Germany actively supports the further expansion of a nuclear safety structure in Europe. European nuclear regulators have made constructive proposals with strong support from Germany. The draft presented on 13 June by Commissioner Oettinger reflects some of these proposals, which include the introduction of safety targets and a stronger cooperation of national nuclear safety supervisory bodies based on the results of the successfully implemented stress tests."
The heads of the European nuclear safety regulators (ENSREG) had proposed the introduction of safety targets which will serve as a standard for future national provisions. The ultimate objective is practically an exclusion of accident scenarios which can cause major radiological releases. The fixing of targets underpins the importance of the principle of continuous nuclear safety improvements.
A further proposal made by the regulators was the obligation to carry out peer review missions of supervisory authorities on selected issues. The aim is to have an in-depth investigation of important safety issues. The reviews will be a significant extension of the investigations carried out during the stress tests. In these peer review missions experts from other member states will assess the reports submitted by national safety authorities. The intention is to enhance a common understanding of European safety authorities.
EU member states are in agreement that the supervision of nuclear facilities will remain a domestic responsibility as national authorities have the necessary knowledge of their facilities and the required know-how. At European level the Federal Environment Ministry sought support for maintaining the tried and tested German system of nuclear supervision by federal and Länder authorities.
The heads of the European regulating authorities and the EU Commission meet in the "European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group" (ENSREG). ENSREG is aimed at establishing a mutual understanding of nuclear safety and disposal of radioactive waste in the EU. Gerald Hennenhöfer, head of the directorate-general for nuclear safety at the Federal Environment Ministry, was elected chairman of the group. On 11 June Mr Hennenhöfer opened the second European nuclear safety conference. The two day conference took place upon the invitation of ENSREG and discussed the development of nuclear safety in Europe in the aftermath of the reactor accident in Fukushima.