UK faces EU court over `secret` nuclear material
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Sept 2, IRNA -- The European Commission is to decide Friday whether to start legal action before the European Court of Justice for failing to provide information about material stored at its Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in north-west England. Euratom, the EU`s atomic energy agency, has regularly complained about poor access to the site and unsatisfactory operating records when carrying out annual inspections. If the issue is referred to the EU`s highest court, the UK will become the first European Union member to face such legal action over a nuclear safety issue. It would only cause embarrassment at a time Britain is pressing Iran to clarify its nuclear programme. In June, British authorities responded to a deadline set by the European Commission in March to address concerns about access to its controversial Sellafield plant. But according to the Financial Times Thursday, officials working for the EU`s outgoing energy commissioner, Loyola de Palacio, are understood to have concluded that the response was inadequate and that court action was therefore justified. The UK has argued that its own authorities should monitor Sellafield without outside inspectors, but the European Commission is expected to accuse Britain of breaching articles 79 on operating records and 81 on inspections in the Euratom Treaty signed in 1957. The Financial Times reported that the Commission also rejects assertions that nuclear safety is a domestic issue since any accident at Sellafield could have serious consequences for neighbouring Ireland. HC/2323/
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
