EU to complete nuclear stress tests this year (by William L. Watts)
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The European Commission will report the results of "stress tests" of nuclear plants in the European Union by the end of the year, European Council President Herman van Rompuy announced Friday, at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of EU leaders in Brussels. "That is a top priority," he said, in a written statement. "We therefore decided that the safety of nuclear plants should be urgently reviewed in the so-called stress tests," he said. The EU encouraged neighboring countries to conduct similar safety tests, he said, adding that "a world-wide review of nuclear plants would be best." The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, was also asked to review existing EU safety rules for nuclear installations, he said.