Vol. 476 No. 3
32 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communication the steps, if any, he has taken to achieve the establishment of a European Union Inspectorate of Nuclear Energy Plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6911/97]
Ireland is in favour of the establishment of an independent European nuclear energy inspection force which would cover all aspects of safety related to nuclear plants. Previous efforts by other administrations to establish such an inspectorate did not succeed, primarily because a considerable number of member states were opposed to the idea. Changes to the Euratom Treaty require unanimity.
Some nuclear member states strongly insist that a European Union inspection force to inspect the safety of plants on their territory is an unacceptable undermining of national sovereignty. Their view is that they have their own nuclear licensing, inspection and regulatory bodies which insist on the highest standards of safety. While safety-conscious nuclear operators should have nothing to fear from an independent inspection of their operations, unfortunately, there is nothing to indicate that a fresh attempt to establish an inspectorate would be any more successful than previous attempts.
However, significant progress was made last year under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency with the coming into force of the Nuclear Safety convention. Under Article 20 of the Convention there is provision for Peer Review. Under this process, each State will be able to review the legislative and regulatory framework that governs the safety of nuclear installations of other contracting parties, which includes all member states of the EU. It also provides for a review of the operational and safety procedures for nuclear installations and emergency preparedness.
I assure the House I will continue to do my utmost to ensure that only the highest safety standards in the nuclear industry prevail and that they are stringently observed.
