ID :
187579
Thu, 06/09/2011 - 18:43
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Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/187579
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IAEA to call for stronger nuke regulatory authority at next meeting
VIENNA, June 9 Kyodo - Member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency are expected to call for strengthening the function of nuclear regulatory authorities in a draft statement of their upcoming ministerial meeting, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
The draft statement, also expected to stipulate enhanced countermeasures for nuclear emergency and stricter safety standards on nuclear power plants, is likely to be adopted as early as June 20 when the ministerial meeting begins in Vienna, the sources said.
Japan, grappling with the country's worst radiation-leaking nuclear accident triggered by the March 11 mega earthquake and tsunami, released a report to the IAEA earlier this week stating measures to prevent a recurrence, and the IAEA's draft statement is expected to be consistent with the Japanese report, the sources said.
In the report, Japan said it would spin off its nuclear safety agency from the industry ministry, which has been pushing the country's nuclear power policy, while admitting that its nuclear regulatory system failed to deal swiftly with the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano is expected to consider how to implement proposed ideas in the statement and report the finding to a general meeting of the IAEA and a regular board meeting in September.
But the tone of the draft statement was rather weak as it was designed to be accepted by more than 150 IAEA member countries which vary in their stances on nuclear power, one of the sources said.
The IAEA draft statement also calls on member countries to ensure utmost transparency in providing information on nuclear accidents and to promote membership of various nuclear safety pacts.
The draft statement, also expected to stipulate enhanced countermeasures for nuclear emergency and stricter safety standards on nuclear power plants, is likely to be adopted as early as June 20 when the ministerial meeting begins in Vienna, the sources said.
Japan, grappling with the country's worst radiation-leaking nuclear accident triggered by the March 11 mega earthquake and tsunami, released a report to the IAEA earlier this week stating measures to prevent a recurrence, and the IAEA's draft statement is expected to be consistent with the Japanese report, the sources said.
In the report, Japan said it would spin off its nuclear safety agency from the industry ministry, which has been pushing the country's nuclear power policy, while admitting that its nuclear regulatory system failed to deal swiftly with the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano is expected to consider how to implement proposed ideas in the statement and report the finding to a general meeting of the IAEA and a regular board meeting in September.
But the tone of the draft statement was rather weak as it was designed to be accepted by more than 150 IAEA member countries which vary in their stances on nuclear power, one of the sources said.
The IAEA draft statement also calls on member countries to ensure utmost transparency in providing information on nuclear accidents and to promote membership of various nuclear safety pacts.
