El Grup Verds/ALE fa temps que treballem intensament per construir una Europa que, primer, consumeixi menys energia (en malgastem molta) i segon pugui abastir-se energeticament a través de fonts no contaminants i renovables.

Ho fèiem força sols, val a dir, i molt abans que tingués lloc el dramàtic accident de Fukushima.

Sigui com sigui és evident que el context sociomediàtic ha canviat, i que d'una manera o una altra comporta, almenys, que alguns dels postulats defensats pels pro-nuclears trontollin, especialment els que tenen a veure amb la seguretat.

És cert que Europa no és Japó, ni en termes d'activitat sísmica ni pel risc de tsunamis, però de cap manera estem absents de riscos i perills. Per tot això els Verds hem el·laborat una sèrie de recomanacions que esperem contribueixin a que el debat, més enllà d'estar a favor o en contra, derivi cap a una seriosa reflexió sobre la necessitat de canviar de model i de mesurar el riscos de manera molt més responsable.

Nuclear safety in Europe

Recommendations following the Japanese nuclear accident

In the aftermath of the massive earthquake and resulting tsunami, the people in Japan are experiencing a tragic and devastating disaster that is constantly evolving.

The damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami to the nuclear power plant in Fukushima (as well as others) has meant that the Japanese people are now also confronted with the threat of a potential nuclear catastrophe.

These tragic events cast renewed doubt about the reassurances of the nuclear industry on the safety of nuclear reactors and underline that it is impossible to be 'in control' of nuclear safety. The construction of nuclear reactors in seismically active regions has long been criticised as being irresponsible. The safety of older reactors, which are based on decades old technology and outdated safety standards, must also now be reassessed. This is clearly relevant in Europe in the context of the current debates on extending nuclear power plant life in several member states. Several measures have to be taken in the EU as a consequence to the disaster in Japan.

1. The EU and its member states have to abandon their commitment to the high risk technology of nuclear power and start a phase-out now.

2. In the process of the nuclear phase out, reactors posing heightened risks must be given priority, including:

— All reactors in seismic regions (e.g. Krsko in Slovenia, Fessenheim in France, Cofrentes in Spain)

— All reactors without a secondary - or full pressure - containment (e.g. Mochovce 1+2 in Slovakia, Paks in Hungary, Bohunice in Slovakia)

— All boiling water reactors with a single cooling system and storage of spent fuel outside of the containment (e.g. Brunsbüttel, Krümmel, Isar 1, Philippsburg 1, Gundremmingen in Germany)

— All reactors built before 1980 and 'generation 1' reactors, as well as those that have had serious safety problems in the past (e.g. Biblis A and B, Neckarwestheim 1, Unterweser in Germany, Wylfa, Oldury and Sellafield in the UK, Blayais, Bugey, Dampierre, Fessenheim, St Laurent in France, Doel and Tihange in Belgium, Borssele in the Netherlands, Forsmark and Ringhals in Sweden)

3. An immediate freeze of all new reactors, either planned or under construction (e.g. Flamanville in France, Mochovce in Slovakia, Belene in Bulgaria, Okiluoto 3 in Finland).

4. Updating safety standards and implementing the highest standards: Binding and effective safety standards at the highest level must be implemented across the EU for those reactors that will still operate in the medium term. The nuclear safety directive that was adopted in 2009 is merely an empty shell and should be completely revised. Full liability of nuclear operators in case of incidents or accidents must be guaranteed.

5. No further EU public money should be spent on nuclear. Currently almost 5 times as much EU funds are set to be allocated to nuclear research as compared to research for renewables and efficiency (1).

 

Several recent energy scenarios show that ambitious energy efficiency and renewables strategies, combined with a modernisation of the energy infrastructure, make a phase out of nuclear as well as coal possible by 2025-2030 (2). We agree with Commissioner Oettinger that the energy strategies of the EU urgently have to be revisited. We therefore urge the Commissioner to push for an EU wide nuclear phase out and to start the energy revolution in Europe.

 

For this he urgently has to:

-propose binding energy saving targets

-set out the goal of a 100% renewable energy based economy by 2050 in the forthcoming EU energy roadmap.

 

(1) Euratom Framework Programme including the extra €1.3 billion for ITER (as proposed by the European Commission in the Framework Programme Euratom for nuclear research and training activities 2012-13 on 7 March 2011) could reach €5.51 billion for the period 2007-13, while only 50% of the Energy FP7 are devoted to renewables and energy efficiency, amounting to 1.225 billion

 

(2) Set out in a number of energy scenarios including the 'Vision Scenario' by the ÖkoInstitut, commissioned by the Greens/EFA group: http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dokbin/368/368667.the_vision_scenario_for_the_european_uni@en.pdf