Fukushima has changed everything, says the Chair of the Environment Comittee. Stress tests for nuclear power plants in the EU should take place immediately.

Nuclear is set to be phased out - Jo Leinen

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15491721/N003-0111-EN.srt

The nuclear disaster in Japan  following the earthquake and the tsunami

and reopened the debate  about nuclear energy.

Angela Merkel has ordered seven  nuclear plants temporarily shut down,

Nicolas Sarkozy has mentioned placing  all French plants under central control.

But isn't it too late to consider such  measures? Implementation takes time.

After the events in Japan  nothing is the way it used to be.

The disaster has made us painfully aware  of the dangers that we all live with

and which we tend to push aside  when nothing bad happens.

But the recent events  are triggering a general debate

about whether we want these risks  in a densely populated Europe or not.

and I expect that we will see  some changes here in Europe.

by ordering so-called  stress tests on nuclear plants,

which means that nuclear reactors  will undergo a number of safety checks.

Is this a good idea?  Do you think it is the right strategy?

In Germany and elsewhere in the EU,  ideally also in the neighbouring countries,

we certainly need a safety examination  of nuclear installations.

which means that they weren't built  to the same safety standards

Stress tests have been agreed on,  but what happens afterwards?

In the wake of the financial crisis  there were stress tests for banks,

but this strategy  didn't prove particularly successful.

Do you really believe  that it can work now?

There is of course a certain danger  that these measures will be delayed.

Commissioner Oettinger has set the end  of 2011 as the deadline for the tests.

I think that's too late  and that there is a very real risk

that the measures will be watered down  or forgotten altogether.

We want to see the first results  before this summer.

We want to ensure that action is taken  in the wake of the Japan disaster,

that pressure is exerted  in order to bring about changes.

but will there be a rethink on a quick exit  from nuclear energy altogether?

The EU's energy policy,  its energy strategy,

will have to be discussed  in a whole new way.

Last year nuclear energy was part of it.  There was even talk of enlarging capacity.

that we need to do more to promote  an energy efficiency revolution.

We need to modernise  our industries and our societies

in order to save more energy  and utilise the full potential of renewables.

Many countries haven't done anything  in this respect so far.

Nuclear energy is an outdated technology,  a thing of the past rather than the future.

And although nuclear plants  will be with us for years to come,

nuclear energy is not a suitable solution  for the 21st century

or for securing Europe's energy needs  over the coming decades.