MEPs quiz Commission on Belarus nuclear power plant safety  

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The EU Commission was quizzed on the safety of building work at the Ostrovets (Astravyets) nuclear power plant in Belarus in a plenary debate on Monday evening. Most MEPs raised concerns about its safety and compliance with international standards.

MEPs asked the Commission whether the Ostrovets plant complied with EU nuclear safety rules and urged it to use all available instruments to ensure that the plant undergoes proper safety stress tests.


The issue of safety of nuclear plants throughout Europe was highlighted. Many MEPs pointed to facilities in and around Europe operating beyond their planned lifespans. MEPs expressed broad concerns about the safety of the plant which is being built close to the Lithuanian capital.


Many MEPs highlighted the cross-border nature of the issue with references to the Chernobyl disaster - and the difficulty of verifying reports of the risks around it.


MEPs also pointed out that nuclear fallout cannot be contained within a country's borders. Some suggested that the international cooperation framework for scrutiny should be the UN one. However, others countered that this was not just a technical question, but also one that has implications for the political aims of the future European energy market.


The Commission - which played an observer role in the construction of the Ostrovets plant - said it would use all instruments available to ensure the highest safety standards.


However, Commissioner Christos Stylianides also reminded Parliament that the nuclear stress tests called for by many MEPs were voluntary and a national competence. He nonetheless said that the independence of Belarusian nuclear regulators needed to be strengthened. The Commission expects the Belarus National Assessment Report on the plant to be presented in 2016/17.The plant is expected to enter the first stage of operation this year and full operation in 2018.


You can watch the plenary debate via EP Live and EbS+