16 Amendments of Bernd LANGE related to 2013/0340(NLE)
Amendment 45 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom of 19 July 2011 establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste33 imposes obligations on the Member States to establish and maintain a national framework for spent fuel and radioactive waste management. The European Parliament resolution of 14 March 2013 on risk and safety assessments (‘stress tests’) of nuclear power plants in the European Union and related activities recalls that the hazards of nuclear waste were once again highlighted by the Fukushima nuclear accident and calls on the Commission to support the open and unbiased identification of the best facilities for storing radioactive waste as safely as possible; __________________ 33 OJ L 199, 2.8.2011. p. 48.
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Council Conclusions of 8 May 2007 on nuclear safety and safe management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste34 highlighted that “nuclear safety is a national responsibility exercised where appropriate in an EU-framework. Decisions concerning safety actions and the supervision of nuclear installations remain solely with the operators and national authorities”. The European Parliament resolution of 14 March 2013 on risk and safety assessments (‘stress tests’) of nuclear power plants in the European Union and related activities calls for the definition and implementation of binding nuclear safety standards. __________________ 34 Adopted by the Coreper on 25 April 2007 (doc. Ref. 8784/07) and the Economic and Financial Affairs Council on 8 May 2007.
Amendment 48 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in 2011 renewed attention worldwide on the measures needed to minimise risk and ensure the most robust levels of nuclear safety. Based on a mandate from the European Council in March 201136, the Commission, together with the European Nuclear Safety Regulator Group ('ENSREG'), carried out Union wide comprehensive risk and safety assessments of nuclear power plants ('stress tests'). The results identified a number of improvements which could be implemented in nuclear safety approaches and industry practices in the participating countries37. The European Parliament resolution of 14 March 2013 on risk and safety assessments (‘stress tests’) of nuclear power plants in the European Union and related activities emphasises that the stress tests demonstrated that practically all nuclear power plants need to implement site-specific safety improvements, and calls for the urgent implementation of the necessary upgrade measures and for Parliament to be informed and consulted annually regarding results, measures and plans in the area of nuclear safety. __________________ 36 European Council, EUCO 10/1/11. 37 ENSREG Peer review Report – Stress Tests performed on European nuclear power plants, 25 April 2012.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) Another key lesson learned from the Fukushima nuclear accident is the importance of enhancing transparency on nuclear safety matters. Transparency is also an important means to promote independence in regulatory decision making. Therefore, the current provisions of Directive 2009/71/Euratom on the information to be provided to the public should be more specific as to which type of information should be provided, as a minimum by the competent regulatory authority and by the licence holder, and within which time frames. To this purpose, for example, the type of information that should be provided, as a minimum by the competent regulatory authority and by the licence holder as part of their wider transparency strategies, should be identified. Information should be released in a timely manner, particularly in case of abnormal events and accidents. Results of periodic safety reviews and international peer reviews should also be made public. The European Parliament resolution of 14 March 2013 on risk and safety assessments (‘stress tests’) of nuclear power plants in the European Union and related activities calls for the EU’s citizens to be fully informed and consulted on nuclear safety in the Union.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) The Directive 2009/71/Euratom sets up a legally binding Community framework underlying a nuclear safety legislative, administrative and organisational system. It does not include specific requirements for nuclear installations. In view of the technical progress achieved by the IAEA, and the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association ('WENRA') and other sources of expertise, including the lessons learned from the stress tests and the Fukushima nuclear accident investigations, Directive 2009/71/Euratom should be amended to include legally binding Community nuclear safety objectives covering all stages of the lifecycle of nuclear installations (siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation, decommissioning).
Amendment 63 #
Recital 27
(27) Ageing of the safety related structures, systems and components of a nuclear installation, and especially embrittlement of components which are difficult to replace in practice, such as reactor pressure vessels, puts a natural limit to its acceptable continued operation. From both a safety and an economical point of view, the limit of operational lifetime is typically 40 years after the start of commercial operation therefore Member States should ensure that possible lifetime extension of existing nuclear power plants does not expose the workers and the public to additional risks. To this end, Directive 2009/71/Euratom should be amended to include new legally binding Community wide safety objectives to be complied with by the regulatory authorities and the licence holders in case of a lifetime extension of existing nuclear power plants. The Commission will ensure that the economic soundness of upgrade measures is examined very carefully in the light of the potential hazard and that EU-financed measures to promote nuclear safety serve the purpose solely of improving safety and not of upgrading old nuclear power plants with the aim of prolonging their life.
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) This Directive introduces new provisions on self-assessments and peer- reviews of nuclear installations based on selected nuclear safety topics covering their entire lifecycle. At an international level, there is already confirmed experience with conducting such peer- reviews on nuclear power plants. At the EU level, the experience from the stress tests process shows the value of a coordinated exercise to assess and review the safety of EU nuclear power plants. The European Parliament resolution of 14 March 2013 on risk and safety assessments (‘stress tests’) of nuclear power plants in the European Union and related activities emphasises that the stress tests are incomplete and that even if it is successful, a stress test will not guarantee the safety of a nuclear plant; Parliament’s resolution furthermore recommends that periodic reviews should be based on common safety standards. A similar mechanism, based on cooperation between the Member States' regulatory authorities and the Commission, should be applied here. Therefore, competent regulatory authorities coordinating in the context of expert groups such as ENSREG, could contribute with their expertise to identifying the relevant safety topics and in carrying out these peer reviews. If Member States fail to jointly select at least one topic the Commission should select one or more topics to be subject to the peer reviews. Participation of other stakeholders, such as Technical Support Organisations, international observers or non- governmental Organisations could bring added value to the peer reviews.
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 35
Recital 35
(35) An appropriate follow-up mechanism should be established to ensure that the outcome of thes stress tests which have already been performed and of future peer-reviews is properly implemented. Peer reviews should help improve the safety of individual nuclear installations as well as help formulate generic technical safety recommendations and legally binding guidelines valid across the Union. The Commission will consistently ensure, using all the instruments at its disposal for the purpose, that the recommendations on improving nuclear safety which emerge from the stress tests and the peer review are implemented immediately and will examine very carefully the economic soundness of the upgrading measures in the light of the potential hazard; the Commission will ensure that the costs of improvement measures are borne in full by the operators of nuclear installations and not by tax-payers.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 42 a (new)
Recital 42 a (new)
(42a) In order to promote democracy, the subjects of nuclear power and particularly nuclear safety should be dealt with within the framework of the Treaty on European Union and by means of the ordinary legislative procedure.
Amendment 126 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Directive 2009/71/Euratom
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Member States shall ensure that up to date and timely information in relation to nuclear safety of nuclear installations and related risks is made available to workers and the general public, with specific consideration to those living in the vicinity of a nuclear installation. A comprehensive and transparent communication process must be arranged by regularly informing and consulting EU citizens.
Amendment 129 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Directive 2009/71/Euratom
Article 8 – paragraph 1– subparagraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 1– subparagraph 2
The obligation established in the first subparagraph includes ensuring that the competent regulatory authority and the licence holders, within their fields of responsibility, develop, publish and implement a transparency strategy covering, inter alia, information on normal operating conditions of nuclear installations, non-mandatory consultation activities with the workers and the general public and communication in case of abnormal events and accidents.
Amendment 167 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Directive 2009/71/Euratom
Article 8e – paragraph 1
Article 8e – paragraph 1
Member States shall at least every ten years arrange for periodic self-assessments of their national framework and competent regulatory authorities and invite an international peer review of relevant segments of their national framework and competent regulatory authorities with the aim of continuously improving nuclear safety. Outcomes of any peer review shall be reported to the Member States, Parliament and the Commission, when available. Parliament shall be informed and consulted annually about results, measures and plans in the field of nuclear safety.
Amendment 199 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Directive 2009/71/Euratom
Article 8e – paragraph 3
Article 8e – paragraph 3
Each Member State subject to the peer review referred to in paragraph 2 shall arrange for the planning and mode of mandatory implementation on its territory of relevant technical recommendations resulting from the peer-review process and shall inform the Commission thereof.
Amendment 200 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Directive 2009/71/Euratom
Article 8e – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 8e – paragraph 3 a (new)
The Commission shall consistently ensure, using all the instruments at its disposal for the purpose, that the recommendations on improving nuclear safety which emerge from the stress tests and the peer review are implemented immediately and shall examine very carefully the economic soundness of the upgrading measures in the light of the potential hazard; the Commission shall ensure that the costs of improvement measures are borne in full by the operators of nuclear installations and not by tax-payers.
Amendment 212 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Directive 2009/71/Euratom
Article 8 f
Article 8 f
Based on the results of the peer reviews performed in accordance with Article 8e(2) and the resulting technical recommendations, in line with the principles of transparency and continuous improvement of nuclear safety, Member States shall, with the support of the competent regulatory authorities, jointly develop and establish guidelines on the specific topics referred to in Article 8e(2)(a). The Commission shall ensure that mandatory EU-wide nuclear safety standards are in force, at the latest, three years after the entry into force of this Directive.
Amendment 213 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Directive 2009/71/Euratom
Article 9 a
Article 9 a