On July 4, 2012, the Belgian Government favors the conclusions of the regulator against the recommendations of its own administration, concerning the phase out of nuclear power.

Context and Summary

© thejournalofregulation

In Belgium, a kind of arm wrestling of expertise, thus power was established between the administration of the Government, having concluded at the end of studies that it was appropriate to close three nuclear sites, while the regulator had published June 21, 2012 a "study" concluding instead that it was appropriate to maintain at least one open, the regulator for this purpose based on its general power to give advice on the electricity market.

Secretary of State Melchior Wathelet has indeed developed a plan to phase out nuclear power by following not the recommendations of the administration, but those of the regulator, the Commission de régulation de l’électricité et du gaz- CREG (Commission for Electricity and Gas Regulation).

Indeed, the nuclear plant Tihange 1 is now extended until 2025.

The Government has approved the plan, which upset environmentalists. But it was easy to say that, in doing so, he followed the advice of the expert that is the impartial regulator.

We measure here the regulator can also help the political bodies to make decisions we can not say if they are adequate or not, but anyway they are unpopular, the impopulation caused by them being deported on the regulator, which itself relies on a purely technical approach.

Member States of Europe have done much this role to the European Commission.

Brief commentary

In Belgium, an administrative service of expertise had made a report on the phase out of nuclear power providing for the closure of three plants. The Belgian regulator energy had in response published June 21, 2012 a very severe study, criticizing the report and concluding that it was appropriate to leave in operation at least a central. On 4 July, Secretary of State Melchior Wathelet has indicated that he said he had developed a plan to phase out nuclear power by following, not the recommendations of the expertise of its administration, but those of the regulator, leaving one of the power plants in operation until 2025.