Unification of the EU

摘要

Proposals unveiled by the European Commission (EC) last month (see NEI November 2002, p5) cover the safety of nuclear installations during operation and decommissioning, management of radioactive waste, and trade in nuclear materials with Russia. Their objective is to introduce common standards and monitoring mechanisms that will guarantee uniform application of the same safety criteria with legal force throughout the European Union (EU). The proposals will have to be agreed by EU member states. The EC has also proposed that Euratom should be authorised to lend an additional EUD2 billion to projects improving the safety and help the decommissioning of nuclear power stations in former Soviet bloc countries. An expected approval by ministers would raise Euratom's lending ceiling for these schemes to EUD6 billion.