Prevent and anticipate through transparency and participation
The United Kingdom and the Czech Republic have opposed calls by eight EU member states to introduce a renewable energy target for 2030, claiming the EU’s future climate and energy framework should be technology neutral and allow nuclear energy among other sources. Read this article
The ‘Energy – Transparency Centre of Knowledge’ (E-TRACK) is a joint initiative agreed between the Directorate General for Energy (DG ENER) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission for the promotion of public participation in the implementation of energy policies. It results from the recognition of the need to offer a reliable source of information on matters relating to energy policy implementation.
The objective of E-TRACK is to become a central point of reference for monitoring, disseminating and sharing information on good practices of public participation in energy policy implementation across the EU. E-TRACK will conduct several projects on transparency and public participation in multiple energy sources. Each project will relate to a network of actors from civil society, national and subnational authorities, pertinent international organizations, regulatory or supervisory bodies, and industrial and commercial interests.
E-TrackPublic participation in radioactive waste management (RWM) constitutes the first project of the Energy – Transparency Centre of Knowledge (E-TRACK). Given the legally binding requirements for transparency of the Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM on spent fuel and radioactive waste, the European Commission considers it useful to provide steady and continuous support in the very near future.
Focus-Association for Sustainable Development organised in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, on December 2 2013 a conference on “Nuclear Energy and Public Participation” with participation of experts from URSJV- Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration, IRSN- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety from France, ANCCLI – French National Association of Local Information Committees and Commissions , Nuclear Transparency Watch (NTW), FDV – Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana & IPPA Research activities regarding the implementation of the Aarhus Convention in the nuclear sector, ARAO-Slovenian Agency for Radioactive Waste Management and Greenpeace. The conference was initiated by Slovene civil initiatives and NGOs that addressed IRSN and ANCCLI with request to support civil society engagement on nuclear issues in Slovenia, supported also by Nuclear Transparency Watch.
Download the report on the Nuclear Energy and public participation conference
Focus-Association for Sustainable Development organised in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, on December 2 2013 a conference on »Nuclear Energy and Public Participation.
In his videotaped contribution the director of Slovene regulatory body (Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration) Andrej Stritar presented activities of the Administration to inform the public and his view on expertise regarding seismological assessments of the site carried out in order to assess its adequacy to build new NPP. IRSN as one of the partners in consortium of 4 expert institutions involved in the assessment requested additional site investigations of the nearby geological fault Libna that in IRSN opinion might present a potential threat for safe operation of a nuclear power plant. In spite of consensus of the involved experts that the nature of the treat does not represent immediate risks to operation of NPP Krško the administration decided to publish all relevant documents regarding site assessment for the new NPP in order to avoid any accusations of having biased position on the issue.
As of January 2013 there is a total of 185 nuclear power plant units with an installed electric net capacity of 162 GWe in operation in Europe (five thereof in the Asian part of the Russian Federation) and 17 units with an electric net capacity 15 GWe were under construction in five countries.
Nuclear power plants in Europe, in operation and under construction (2013) :
|
Country |
in operation |
under construction |
||
|
number |
net capacity MWe |
number |
net capacity MWe |
|
| Belgium |
7 |
5,927 |
–
|
–
|
| Bulgaria |
2 |
1,906 |
– |
– |
| Czech Repuplic |
6 |
3,766 |
–
|
–
|
| Finland |
4 |
2,736 |
1 |
1,600 |
| France |
58 |
63,130 |
1 |
1,600 |
| Germany |
9 |
12,068 |
–
|
–
|
| Hungary |
4 |
1,889 |
–
|
–
|
| Netherlands |
1 |
482 |
–
|
–
|
| Romania |
2 |
1,300 |
– |
– |
| Russian Federation |
33 |
23,643 |
11 |
9,297 |
| Slovakian Republic |
4 |
1,816 |
2 |
782 |
| Slovenia |
1 |
688 |
–
|
–
|
| Spain |
8 |
7,567 |
–
|
–
|
| Sweden |
10 |
9,395 |
–
|
–
|
| Switzerland |
5 |
3,263 |
–
|
–
|
| Ukraine |
15 |
13,107 |
2 |
1,900 |
| United Kingdom |
15 |
9,246 |
–
|
–
|
| total |
185 |
161,922 |
17 |
15,179 |
In terms of electricity generated by nuclear energy in 2011 France holds the top position with a share of 77.7 % followed by Belgium and the Slovakian Republic with 54.0 % and Ukraine with 47.2 %.
With 85 nuclear power plants and 159 reactors in operation, which represent one third of the global fleet, Europe has the most important nuclear fleet in the world.
Afficher Position of the nuclear power plants in Europe on a larger map
Download the French Nuclear Safety Authority Opinion concerning the proposed revision of the European directive on nuclear safety
Press release of the European Parliament on line
PLENARY SESSION Press release – Energy − 19-11-2013
EU financial aid to help Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia to complete the decommissioning of the Kozloduy, Ignalina and Bohunice nuclear power plants in the next EU budget period (2014-2020) was approved by MEPs on Tuesday. These power plants are “too dated and could not be cost-effectively upgraded to meet the minimum required safety standards” says rapporteur Giles Chichester (ECR, UK).
The new regulation will extend EU financial support given to Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia in order to complete the decommissioning of their nuclear power plants (Kozloduy units 1 to 4, Ignalina units 1 and 2 and Bohunice V1 units 1 and 2). The term “decommissioning” covers all the activities taking place after reactors are shut down: removal and the final disposal of spent fuel elements, decontamination, dismantling and/or demolition of the nuclear installations, disposal of remaining radioactive waste materials, and environmental restoration of contaminated sites.
Budget and conditions
To qualify for the €860 million* total aid available (€260 million for Kozloduy, €400 million for Ignalina, and €200 million for Bohunice), the three countries will need to meet certain conditions, including fully transposing the Nuclear Safety Directive into their national laws and submitting detailed decommissioning plans to the European Commission. MEPs suggest that these plans should include information on the anticipated projects, specific milestones and “co-financing proportions including details on how this national funding will be secured in the long term”.
Evaluation
“It should be ensured by the Commission that the conditions for an effective, efficient and economical use of EU funds is in place. Objectives must be aligned with the budget made available and to the establishment of meaningful performance indicators, which can subsequently be monitored and reported on as necessary for the programme implementation as a whole”, stresses Parliament’s rapporteur Giles Chichester.
MEPs propose that the Commission should review the performance of the three decommissioning programmes and assess their progress by the end of 2017. If the Commission decides to review the total budget for the decommissioning programmes, it should not jeopardise safety standards at the nuclear power plants, say MEPs.
The resolution was approved by 554 votes to 17, with 72 abstentions.
* The agreed budget is 860 million (in 2011 figures), which will be adjusted to inflation during the programme. The most recent adjustments put the figure at €969 million (€293 million for Kozloduy, €451 million for Ignalina and €225 million for Bohunice).
Procedure: Consultation
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