Call for better cooperation between Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands on crisis management

Call for better cooperation between Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands on crisis management

Belgium is not well prepared for a nuclear accident with cross-border consequences and should improve crisis-management cooperation with Germany and the Netherlands, says the Dutch Safety Board, OVV. In a report almost 200 pages long, the OVV presented the conclusions of a survey launched in 2016 in a climate of uncertainty generated by micro-fissures detected in the tanks of two Belgian reactors located near the countries’ common border, prompting doubts about their safety.

Four border nuclear sites were studied: Borssele in the Netherlands, Doel and Tihange in Belgium, and Emsland in Germany.

The OVV zoomed in on existing crisis plans which, it said, needed to be improved. It also said there were not enough real-life situation drills, more coordination was needed on measures to be taken and communication between the three neighbours needed to be improved.

The OVV also denounced “the lack of information given to citizens on the consequences of a nuclear accident” but said it was “optimistic about cooperation between the three countries to prevent such a tragedy.


The Brussels Times   


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