Business as usual? Nuclear energy after the stress tests

EURELECTRIC Meeting Centre (6th floor)

The viability of nuclear power was put under serious strain in 2011, further to the Fukushima nuclear accident and the ensuing political decisions to pull the plug on nuclear power stations and/or to reconsider the developing national plans. Notwithstanding the above, the European nuclear regulators and the European Commission, strongly backed by the European nuclear industry and EURELECTRIC, have taken immediate action and reviewed the safety of the existing power stations, coming forward with proposals to strengthen their resilience and ensure the continued use of nuclear power in those countries that have chosen it as a source of carbon-neutral, affordable and secure electricity.

One year and a half after the Fukushima events, this workshop took stock of the results of the comprehensive risk and safety assessment (the 'stress tests') and responded to crucial questions on the viability of nuclear energy in Europe: How have the different member states reacted to the stress tests? What can we expect from the European Commission with the revision of the nuclear safety framework? Is nuclear still considered as one of the key technologies to reach the long-term objectives of the EU energy policy? What will be the role for nuclear energy in a post-2020 energy and climate package?