EUROPE scrambled to review safety measures at its scores of atomic reactors as authorities moved to reassure the public and safeguard the lucrative nuclear industry in light of events in Japan.
With more than 150 reactors scattered across the continent in half as many nuclear power plants, the EU said it was convening emergency talks in Brussels on Tuesday gathering energy ministers, national nuclear safety officials and big nuclear companies.
‘The aim is to get first-hand information on contingency plans and safety measures in place,’ said the European Commission, the 27-nation bloc’s executive arm.
But as Japan struggled to cope with feared reactor meltdowns after a massive earthquake, anti-nuclear protesters took to the streets across the continent, forcing governments onto the defensive while non-nuclear Austria reiterated its fears of nuclear power.
‘Our neighbours are banking on nuclear energy,’ said Austrian Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich.
‘We are demanding maximum safety guarantees for the Austrian people, and all of our neighbours must be able to provide the same guarantee for their citizens,’ he said.
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