Francisco Guerreiro questions Commission on Almaraz nuclear power plant

Lisbon, 30 June 2020 - MEP Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA) asked the European Commission (EC) today if Council Directive 2014/87/Euratom was transposed into the Spanish law and if the EC is aware of the investments that are being made to improve the safety of the Almaraz nuclear power plant, after two incidents were recorded in the space of five days. 

Council Directive 2014/87/Euratom establishes a Community framework for the safety of nuclear installations and “reflects the provisions of the main international instruments in the field of nuclear safety, namely the Convention on Nuclear Safety, as well as the Safety Fundamentals established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (‘IAEA’),” it reads.

On 27 June, the Almaraz nuclear power plant recorded an incident at its unit II reactor. In five days this is the second incident recorded at this plant.

In addition to this question, the MEP asked whether the EC had received any communication from the plant licensee regarding nuclear investment projects, as required by the Euratom Treaty, and also whether the Almaraz plant meets the safety standards necessary to remain in operation up to 2028.

The Almaraz plant is in the province of Cáceres, borders the Portuguese districts of Castelo Branco and Portalegre, and is located in a seismic risk zone, just 110 kilometers in a straight line from the Portuguese border.

See the full question below:

On 27 June 2020, the Almaraz nuclear power plant in Spain recorded an incident at its unit II reactor. This is the second incident in five days recorded at the power station, which is located by the Tagus River near the border with Portugal. Since the episode is provisionally classified at level 0 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES), Spain is not required to inform the Commission.

However, this is not the first incident of its kind at the plant. In 2015, for example, it was revealed that fire safety surveillance data had been falsified[1]. In 2017, Portugal called on Spain to conduct a cross-border impact assessment of a nuclear landfill in the immediate proximity of its border with Portugal, seeking Commission mediation also.

I would like to ask the Commission the following:

1. Has Directive 2014/87/Euratom finally been transposed into Spanish law (Infringement No 20182121)?  
2. Has the Commission received any communication from the plant licensee regarding nuclear investment projects, as required by the Euratom Treaty?
3. Does the Almaraz plant meet the safety standards necessary to remain in operation up to 2028?

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