In the frame of review of the nuclear safety framework, the Council of the European Union adopted an amendment to the 2009 Nuclear Safety Dirctive on 8 July 2014 (Directive 2014/87/Euratom). The amendment takes account of the lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear accident, EU nuclear stress tests, and the safety requirements of the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) and the international Atomic Energy Association (IAEA).
The new Directive:
- Strengthens the power and independence of national regulatory authorities
- Introduces a high-level EU-wide safety objective to prevent accidents and avoid radioactive releases
- Sets up a European system of peer reviews on specific safety issues every six years
- Increases transparency on nuclear safety matters by informing and involving the public
- Promotes an effective nuclear safety culture.
ENSREG contributed to the drafting of the proposals through an ad hoc working group to examine the European Commission's proposals and to establish an ENSREG summary position.
Further details of the amended Directive can be found here.
Updated 4 Sep 2014
