European Commission provides an update on nuclear safety stress tests

Following last year's Fukushima disaster in Japan and the safety and security re-assessments of all nuclear power plants in the EU decided by the European Union (EU), stress tests were conducted in all 14 Member States that operate nuclear power plants to assess whether they can withstand the effects of natural disasters including earthquakes, flooding, extreme cold, extreme heat, snow, ice, storms, tornados, heavy rain and other extreme natural conditions.

According to Continuity Central, the stress tests are currently in 'phase three' where the various national reports are analysed and verified on-site when necessary in order to identify key strengths and weaknesses. The peer review process that will present concrete recommendations for improvement on nuclear power plant level "will be completed shortly," says the European Commission.