(2004/C 78 E/0094)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2221/03

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(2 July 2003)

Subject:   Situation of the High Flux Reactor in Petten

According to a report in the 18 June 2003 edition of ‘De Volkskrant’, Europe wants to abandon the nuclear reactor in Petten. The European Union, the owner of the High Flux Reactor (HFR) wants to abandon as soon as possible its authorisation for the reactor which is actually operated by NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group). The transfer has to be completed by the end of 2003.

The Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment's transfer documents dated 15 May 2003 (see http://www.vrom.nl/pagina.html?id=2686) set out three options (a Netherlands company becomes the owner of the reactor, a Netherlands company becomes the owner of the authorisation to operate the reactor, the authorisation remains with the Joint Research Centre) which are currently under review.

Over the last two years, the operation of and the situation pertaining to the HFR have regularly been the subject of concern and disquiet on the part of politicians, the media and the general public. It is alleged that the safety culture is becoming worse, that cracks have appeared in the reactor vessel, that the concrete is decaying and that the reactor might explode.

To what extent is the European Commission prepared to abandon its current ownership rights?

On what grounds?

Given the problems with the safety culture and the alleged technical shortcomings, would it not be better for the European Commission to continue to supervise the HFR?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(7 August 2003)

The Commission is neither considering a transfer of ownership of the high flux reactor (HFR), nor abandoning its involvement in the use of the HFR for research purposes.

The Commission does, however, intend to put in place a different set up for the chain of responsibility for the safety of the reactor. Therefore, it has indicated since autumn of 2002, to the competent Dutch authority, that the HFR licence should be transferred to NRG, the current operator of the reactor.

The Commission is of the opinion that safety can potentially be improved by introducing shorter lines of communication, providing clearer accountabilities and simplifying and reducing organisational interfaces. In February — March 2002 an audit was performed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the safety culture at the HFR in Petten. One of the IAEA suggestions made in the final report of the audit was to transfer the operational licence from the Commission to the operator, i.e. NRG.

For what concerns the safety culture, an action plan was designed after the IAEA audit and agreed with the Dutch authority, which also regularly monitors the progresses on this issue. The action plan will be completed in time, i.e. by the end of 2003.

For what concerns defect indications in a weld of the reactor vessel, this issue is subject of a very detailed plan of action strictly followed by the Dutch authority and by independent experts.

For what concerns alleged technical shortcomings like that the concrete is decaying the Dutch authority has controlled and confirmed unfounded these allegations after appropriate inspections and extended analysis reviewed by independent bodies.

Finally, the allegation that the reactor might explode was the subject of a thorough analysis reviewed by the Dutch authority and submitted to an independent panel of international experts. The conclusions were that the reactor cannot explode and these conclusions were forwarded to the Dutch Parliament by the State Secretary of Environment in January 2003.