French Senate begins debate on nuclear regulatory bill

Paris (Platts)--7Mar2006

France's Senate began debate on the "Nuclear Transparency and Safety Act"
today, under an "urgency" procedure requested by the government that ensures
fast-tracking of the legislation by limiting debate. In initial debate,
members of the ruling center-right UMP and the centrist UDF parties said they
would vote for the bill, as amended by the government recently to create a
five-member independent nuclear regulatory commission, the High Authority for
Nuclear Safety. They also promised a series of amendments related to that
authority's functions and those of the Local Information Commissions (CLI)
around nuclear facility sites. Former environment minister Dominique Voynet
(Green), now a senator, termed the reform "dangerous" because it gives the
proposed regulatory body too much power independent of the government and
parliament. She said the Greens would vote against it; representatives of the
Socialist and Communist parties also disapproved. But the center-right parties
have enough votes to pass the bill in both the Senate and the National
Assembly. The bill is scheduled for debate in the Assembly late this month,
after three days' debate and vote in the Senate.

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