All EU nuclear power plants must be re-assessed, but the finer details of the checks have provoked heated debate amongst MEPs.

Transparent stress tests?

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15634567/N001-110609-001-EN.srt

Europe’s 143 nuclear reactors  will undergo stress tests.

The tests' details  have provoked heated debate

between the MEPs and  Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger.

All the risks linked to natural disasters  and human error must be considered,

but not the risk of terrorism.  Each State can fix its own criteria.

We’re very scared that  these stress tests will not be objective.

that all the stress tests have the same  categories and issues to be examined.

Terrorist attacks and earthquakes are of  course issues that should be examined.

It will be the nuclear plant operators  that actually carry out the stress tests,

a team of EU experts will also  be able to intervene in the process.

But critics of the stress tests fear  a lack of transparency.

But this isn't true. There’s a mix  of civil servants, independent experts

and, of course, operators. The problem  isn’t one of a conflict of interest,

The operators won't be  the ones in control.

One thing is sure: Brussels  won't be able to order a plant’s closure,

Only States have the power  to unplug their nuclear plants.

Berlin has already taken the lead:  as a precaution,

Germany will close  all its reactors by 2022.