The German government’s decision to extend the lives of nuclear plants has aroused deep hostility Germany has responded to the Japanese nuclear crisis by suspending for three months a plan to extend the lives of its ageing nuclear power stations.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government announced last year that the country’s 17 power stations would close around 12 years later than planned.
The government has faced growing calls for the extension to be scrapped.
The EU has called an emergency meeting on Tuesday to review safety measures at nuclear reactors.
In a statement, the EU said it wanted to assess the Japanese situation and the EU’s state of preparedness “in case of similar incidents”. It said the aim was to get “first-hand information on contingency plans and safety measures in place.”
The Swiss government also announced on Monday that it was suspending its nuclear plans because safety was its first priority.
Switzerland currently has four nuclear plants with five functioning reactors and the country’s regulatory authorities have now frozen the regulatory process for a further three sites.
However, Polish PM Donald Tusk said his country would go ahead with its plans to build two new plants, noting that Poland did not have the same risk of earthquakes as Japan.
The German decision to suspend the controversial extended life policy for 17 power stations came after growing political pressure.
Tens of thousands of people took part in demonstrations in Germany at the weekend against the Berlin government’s nuclear policy. They formed a 45km (27mi human chain) in the south-western state of Baden-Wuerttemberg from Stuttgart to one of the power plants affected by the nuclear extension policy.
German voters go to the polls in Baden-Wuerttemberg and Chancellor Merkel’s Christian Democrats are faring badly in opinion polls.
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