The year 2011 was marked by the Fukushima accident that had a major impact on the EU institutional agenda as far as nuclear is concerned. In 2012, the consequences of Fukushima at EU level will continue to unfold with the completion of the so-called "stress tests", the revision of the safety Directive and the publication of a European-wide opinion poll (Eurobarometer) on waste and safety. Other developments are also in the pipeline like the publication of a report on nuclear by the European Commission (EC) called "PINC" and the adoption by the European Parliament (EP) of own initiative reports on the Energy Roadmap 2050 and the Low-carbon Roadmap 2050. Please find below an overview of EU nuclear policy developments expected this year.

ENEF

The European Nuclear Forum (ENEF) plenary meeting will be held on 14 and 15 May 2012 in Bratislava. The focal point of the discussions should be safety.

Safety

Stress tests

Following the Fukushima accident, the so-called "stress tests" process was launched that aims at re-evaluating the safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Europe in the light of this accident. The national regulatory bodies finalised their national reports based on those of the different operators by 31 December 2011. The peer-review process managed by ENSREG will take place from January to April 2012. In June 2012, the EC will submit a consolidated report to the European Council. The reviews are divided into two types: the topical reviews and the country-specific reviews. The topical reviews will examine three topical areas: initiating events (earthquake, flood...), loss of safety functions (electrical supply, heat sink...), and severe accident management. The country-specific reviews will evaluate the national reports country by country.

Nuclear safety Directive

In June 2009 at an Environment Council in Luxembourg, the European Council adopted a Directive establishing of a new Community framework for nuclear safety based on the principle of the further harmonisation of safety standards at nuclear installations across the EU. The Directive is required to be transposed into national law by Members States by July 2011 and Member States must submit their first report by July 2014. The European Council and the EC called for an early revision of the Directive following Fukushima. Thus at the plenary meeting of ENEF, a Roadmap on the revision of the Directive will be presented and at the end of 2012, the EC is expected to make a proposal in order to improve the Directive following a thorough review of existing rules with all stakeholders.

Basic Safety Standards Directive

The 1996 Basic Safety Standards Directive fixes the basic standards for radioprotection within the EU. In September 2011, the EC published a proposal for a revision of this Directive. The proposal should be adopted by the European Council in 2012.

Radioactivity in drinking water

In June 2011, the EC published a proposal for a Council Directive entitled, Protection of public health: radioactive substances in water intended for human consumption. The European Economic and Social Committee delivered its Opinion in November 2011, and the European Council's Atomic Questions Group is currently debating the topic. The procedure of opinion by the EP has begun in early 2012 and the Parliament should adopt its own-initiative report this year.

Waste management

Radioactive waste Directive

In July 2011, the Council adopted the "radioactive waste and spent fuel management Directive". The Directive entered into force in September 2011. Member States are required to submit their first national programmes in 2015. A Core Group, called NAPRO (National PROgrammes) has been created within ENEF in order to develop guidelines for the establishment of the national programmes. This year, the Core Group will continue to work on the guidelines that are expected to be presented at the ENEF plenary meeting in May 2012 and should be finalized in March 2013.

Research

Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020, an €80 billion programme for investment in research and innovation, was published by the EC in November 2011. It is the 8th Framework programme for research and innovation and it should run from 2014 until 2020. It includes a EURATOM and Joint Research Centre part that should only cover the period from 2014 to 2018. The EURATOM projects will be allocated around €1 billion, while the JRC will receive €656 million. This year, the Commission proposal will be discussed by the Council and the European Parliament and it should be adopted by the end of 2013.

Roadmaps 2050

Energy Roadmap 2050

The EC published The Energy Roadmap 2050 in December 2011. The document indicates that nuclear energy makes "a significant contribution to the energy transformation process" and is "a key source of low-carbon electricity generation." It also emphasizes that nuclear energy "contributes to lower system costs and electricity prices". FORATOM released its contribution to the Roadmap in February 2011 and an updated version in November 2011. This year, the European Council is expected to adopt conclusions on the Roadmap and the European Parliament should also elaborate and adopt an own initiative report to give its opinion on it.

Low-carbon Roadmap 2050

The EC published in March 2011 a Communication entitled: A roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy by 2050. It sets out the strategy required to promote Europe's transition to a low-carbon economy by 2050 and recognizes the contribution that nuclear can make as a low-carbon technology. In June 2011, the European Council under the Hungarian Presidency endorsed the Roadmap objectives. To give its opinion on the Roadmap, the EP drafted an own initiative report, which Rapporteur is Davies Chris, Liberals and Democrats, UK. It is expected to be voted in Committee on 31 January 2012 and in plenary on 15 March 2012.

Financing

PINC

The Community Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC) is a report made by the EC providing information on the current status of nuclear energy in the EU and giving recommendations to EU Member States. An updated version is scheduled to be published at the end of 2012. It was due to be published last year, but was delayed because of Fukushima. The issues that should be covered in this document are capacity projections, investments and financing.

Public opinion

Eurobarometer on Radioactive Waste and nuclear Safety

The Eurobarometer (a European-wide opinion poll commissioned by the EC) on Radioactive Waste was due to be published in 2011 since Special Eurobarometers are released every 3 years, but due to the Fukushima accident its publication was postponed. The EC decided instead to prepare a combined Eurobarometer survey including questions regarding nuclear power, radioactive waste and nuclear safety. This Eurobarometer survey is expected to be published end of 2012 or beginning of 2013.

Transport

Radioactive materials carriers' regulation:

In August 2011, the EC published a proposal for a Council regulation establishing a Community system for registration of carriers of radioactive materials. This regulation aims at replacing the reporting and authorization systems in the Member States by a single registration. It should be adopted by the Council in 2012.

Harmonisation of design licensing

This year, ENEF will continue to work on the possible harmonisation of the "approval of reactor designs" within the EU through the Core Group called the European Reactor Design Approval (ERDA) that will present a report during the ENEF plenary meeting in May 2012. The EC has also commissioned a report conducted by Philippe and Partners entitled, Survey of licensing procedures for new installation in EU countries, which will give an overview of the different licensing procedures within the EU and that should be published during the year.

NPP Long-term Operation

The EC was due to publish a Recommendation on the long-term operation of nuclear power plants within the EU last year, but its publication was postponed because of the Fukushima accident. It might be released in 2012.

Timetable:

1 January to 30 April 2012: Stress tests' peer-reviews

15 March 2012: Vote in EP Plenary on the own initiative report on the Low-Carbon Roadmap 2050

14 & 15 May 2012: ENEF plenary meeting in Bratislava (Presentation of a Roadmap on the revision of the Safety Directive, of a report on the approval of reactor design, and of the guidelines for the National Programmes of the Waste Directive)

June 2012: Submission by the EC to the Council of a consolidated report on the stress tests

End of 2012: - Publication of an updated PINC

                   - Publication of a Eurobarometer on Waste and Safety

For further information, you can read:

• Q & A of FORATOM on the stress tests, the latest updated PINC published in 2007

• the Energy Roadmap 2050 and FORATOM's contribution to it,

• the Low-carbon Roadmap 2050 

• the safety Directive,

• FORATOM's publication on public opinion, in which you will find links to the latest Eurobarometer surveys

• the EC proposal for a Council regulation establishing a Community system for registration of carriers of radioactive materials