European Union (EU) governments agreed on Thursday to provide binding legal forces to international nuclear safety standards, calling on other nuclear actors to follow.

The Nuclear Safety Directive, which was adopted by EU environment ministers in Luxembourg today, is a major step for achieving a common legal framework and a strong safety culture in Europe, the European Commission said in a statement.

Under the directive, it becomes mandatory for all nuclear powerplants in the EU to apply the main international nuclear safety standards, namely the Safety Fundamentals established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the obligations resulting from the Convention on Nuclear Safety.

"Nuclear safety is an absolute priority for the EU. This Nuclear Safety Directive brings legal certainty by clarifying responsibilities and provides increased guarantees to the public as required by EU citizens. It sets binding principles for enhancing nuclear safety to protect workers and the general public, as well as the environment," said EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

The directive requires EU member states in particular to set up and continuously improve national nuclear safety frameworks. It enhances the role and independence of national regulatory authorities, confirming license holders the prime responsibility for nuclear safety.

EU countries are also required to encourage a high level of transparency of regulatory actions and to guarantee regular independent safety assessments.

The EU said it is the first major regional nuclear actor to make the main international nuclear safety standards mandatory and sets a model for the rest of the world.

"Continuous development of nuclear safety is a responsibility not just for Europe, but for the world, not simply for us but also for coming generations," Piebalgs said.

Source: Xinhua