European Union leaders on Friday agreed to conduct so-called "stress tests" on their nuclear power plants, as they took stock of the near-meltdown that Japan faced at one of its facilities in the wake of a massive earthquake and tsunami, dpa reported.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the bloc will call on its member states to have their plants assessed by independent national authorities, with a public release of the findings and a report to European agencies to follow.
Merkel said the process is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
"The lesson out of Japan has to be uniform stress tests in Europe," she said.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said his country would have only one option if the tests raised questions about any French facility.
"If a plant doesn't pass the tests, it will be closed, that's clear," he said.
EU leaders agree to "stress tests" on nuclear plants
European Union leaders on Friday agreed to conduct so-called "stress tests" on their nuclear power plants, as they took stock of the near-meltdown that Japan faced at one of its facilities in the wake of a massive earthquake and tsunami.
