1st LD Writethru: Belgium, Germany sign deal on safety of nuclear power plants

Belgium and Germany on Monday signed an agreement on exchanging information on the safety of nuclear power plants.

The deal, signed by Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon and German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks in Brussels, aims to ease safety concerns over nuclear reactors located in the border areas between the two countries.

Under the agreement, the two neighboring countries will set up a joint committee to carry out regular information exchange of the safety of nuclear power plants.

In addition, German experts will also be able to attend the inspection of Belgian power plants, and vice versa.

"We want to be very transparent about our security policy and about the elements which make up the basis for our decisions," said Jambon at a press briefing after the signing ceremony, stressing that "Belgian nuclear power plants are safe."

The agreement serves as a legal basis for "a critical discussion on the key questions about nuclear safety," according to the minister.

The two large-scale nuclear power stations in Belgium, known as Tihange and Doel, have been in service since the mid-1970s.

The 40-year-old Doel 1 and Doel 2 reactors were scheduled to be decommissioned in 2015, but the Belgian nuclear safety authority decided to keep the reactors online for another decade.

Germany has long been concerned over safety risk of the Tihange 2 and the Doel 3 reactors, which are about 60 and 130 km away from the German border, respectively.

A fire broke out last December at one of the Tihange reactors, adding to the fears of Germans living near the border.

In April, Germany requested Belgium to temporarily shut down the two reactors near its borders after a report by the German Reactor Safety Commission said their safety was not guaranteed.

Belgium, however, rejected Germany's call and said that the 40-year-old Tihange 2 and Doel 3 reactors met "the highest safety requirements."

Seven nuclear reactors are currently in service in Belgium, which produce 55 percent of the country's electricity supply, according to Electrabel, the company managing these reactors.

The Belgian government has vowed to phase out nuclear power completely by 2025. Endit