Nuclear policy

Comment: Nuclear Vulnerability, Belgium

Ironically, during the operation of nuclear power plants, the EU has nothing to say – safety of installations is a national responsibility. This must be different, because close to scrap nuclear power plants are a threat, says Barbara Wesel.

The nuclear power plant Tihange in Belgium

You can’t do much, except the Belgians again and again to irritate, BelTA learned from the Ministry of the environment on the question of German intervention in the case of the Pannenreaktoren Doel and Tihange. And so one must probably also the questionnaire see the Berlin, the Belgian authorities have submitted and the visit of the Minister of the environment Barbara Hendricks with their colleagues in Brussels. This seems to be a case of “Nice that we talked about.” Nice, but not useful.

The Belgian state and surprisingly, its citizens are quite relaxed compared to the potential nuclear threat from the Ancient reactors. There can be professionals as often as palm-sized cracks and determine the safety of the medieval systems in doubt: The government in Brussels relies on the fact that the Wind mostly to the West of blowing, a nuclear cloud so over the German neighbors in Aachen country and in the Dutch Region of Maastricht settled would be. Because, of course, as the nuclear power plants around 40 years ago built have been presented to them as close as possible to the limits.

Where is the EU?

Unfortunately, here the obvious question about the European Union: “it is not responsible” will be answered. And because rubbing one’s eyes: The EU feels for consumers and health protection to beißsicheren Babyrasseln responsible. But she is powerless against nuclear power plants? Why should I be using diesel to get upset, if I but the neighboring atomic poison? Here only a loophole to talk about, would be the understatement of the month.

Barbara Wesel is DW correspondent in Brussels

The nuclear safety is absolutely necessary as a pan-European issue – a more compelling example of the need for cross-border regulations are not. It’s crazy: But with the nuclear operations allowed to each country to decide itself, what is it for safe keeps. And a corresponding EU-Directive of 2014 is windelweich. Instead of the uniform size of Apples on the supermarket shelf to control, the EU Commission should prefer the security of nuclear power plants. Had its President, Jean-Claude Juncker when he took office not announced, Europe will only have to complete the Essential take care of?

Where are the transnational networks ?

Now, the Belgians not only out of greed and General incompetence of the maturities of its old reactor blocks one last time to ten years. You have also done this, because they have the power really need. After all, there is no connection of the electricity grids between Germany and Belgium. You can make it so, not in Germany to buy. In North Rhine-Westphalia, there would be enough electricity to neighbors in Need, to supply. But in the past few decades, the European member States, despite constant proclamations are not made, their power grids to connect to each other. What would that cost? A two-digit Millionensumme in the case of Germany and Belgium? Perhaps we should consider the Belgians the piece of line just give financially, we can still just afford. Even if we the neighbors also have the power to discount prices would provide – that would be still cheaper, than the threat of imminent nuclear contamination of an entire Region. In Fukushima had the Official previously also claimed that a nuclear accident is totally excluded.

Is necessary for both The Kontrollzuständigkeit for the nuclear safety in Brussels to settle the EU and the EU at the same time, with the sharpest penalties, to equip, to the members in obedience to force. And in addition, the archaic state of be ended that we have tomatoes in the internal market from Valencia to Kiruna in Northern Sweden, the transport of electricity but in many cases continue to be a national Good. Maybe keep the two Old nuclear power plants Doel and Tihange yet another decade. After the series of glitches to Christmas but there is the fact any reasonable doubt. This life-threatening Schrottreaktoren are switched off immediately. There is currently only political pressure at the highest level.

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