Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-16-Speech-2-304"
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"en.20000516.12.2-304"2
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"Mr President, the vast majority of United Kingdom citizens or indeed EU citizens were deeply shocked and dismayed at the recent events at BNFL. Let me quote BNFL's own words: "At company level it has been recognised that in the mind of many stake holders quality and safety are inextricably linked. Failure to comply in one aspect of an accredited quality system has led to a major loss in confidence in BNFL overall." That is from a management which is now aware of its shortcomings, a management that foolishly engaged in staff reductions, now reversed thank goodness.
The highest standards are required of any nuclear installation. I have considerable sympathy for the workers at BNFL let down by a sloppy management. Their livelihoods were endangered. They will now speak out whenever they see evidence of lack of safety culture.
I do not want to talk at this stage about the viability or wisdom of reprocessing nor about the economics of MOX. That is not under debate, although those matters should be debated in the UK and elsewhere. BNFL is now in for a very difficult period and deservedly. The main reason this is being raised in the European Parliament is to point out the lack of European harmonised standards in the nuclear industry. There are harmonised standards in almost every other aspect of European industry. The Euratom Treaty is deficient and that must be rectified so that we can have the sort of directive we need. We cannot really contemplate enlargement without some sort of
in the nuclear sector.
The Commissioner says she does not feel it advisable to produce a communication. Please come to our committee Commissioner and we can discuss this further. I think one is needed in the near future indicating how we could achieve more harmonisation – of course not at the lowest standards in existence but at the most stringent. If you want public acceptance – and many of you do – of the nuclear industry, you have to ensure that.
Commissioner you say that as far as new facilities are concerned, if there are to be any, you feel that there is a case. I really do not see the difference, and I urge you to reconsider what you have said this evening to come to our committee, look at this one case as an example of what we need for the public of Europe and for the workers in our nuclear plants."@en1
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