143 nuclear power plants in 14 EU countries to undergo stress tests
17 Mar 2011
European Union (EU) countries have started a rethink on their nuclear energy policy following the disaster at Japan's nuclear power plants.
With opposition to nuclear energy rising among its population, EU heavyweight Germany set the stage for the change on Monday by suspending the plan adopted last year to extend the life of its nuclear power plants.
On Tuesday, the country had decided to shut down seven nuclear power plants on a temporary basis. The plants went on stream before 1980. With this move Germany has become the first European country to take the step after disaster struck Japan.
Responding to the disaster, energy ministers and nuclear experts of the 27 EU member states, in an extraordinary meeting in Brussels conducted an overview of the contingency plans and safety measures in place in Europe.
They agreed to conduct stress tests on the 143 nuclear power plants in 14 EU countries. The tests would include risk assessments of possible damage by earthquakes, tsunami, terrorist attacks and power fallout, etc.
In a radical move, EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger, who chaired the meeting, proposed a nuclear-free future for Europe, an issue certain to stir a controversy.
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