Brussels urges European Union to adopt nuclear safety policy

Brief

September 10, 2002

Loyola de Palacio, European commissioner of energy, is planning to submit a series of proposals to the Commission for a joint policy on nuclear energy in preparation for a wider European Union. The main thrust of the proposals is to establish a common set of safety standards and create independent safety authorities within each member state. They also call for independent management of funds earmarked for reactor decommissioning. In addition, the commission wants to require member states to select a deep waste disposal site no later than 2008.