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Europeans Divided Over Nuclear Energy
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults who reside in countries that have joined the European Union (EU) hold differing views on nuclear power, according to the Eurobarometer conducted by TNS Opinion & Social. 37 per cent of respondents are opposed to the use of nuclear energy in their countries, while 20 per cent are in favour.
In Sweden, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary and the Czech Republic, more than a third of respondents express support for nuclear energy. Conversely, more than half of respondents in Estonia, Latvia, Denmark, Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Austria are opposed.
There are 153 active reactors in the EU. Nuclear energy accounts for about a third of the EU's energy supply. France gets almost 80 per cent of its energy from nuclear reactors.
In the EU, safety regulations regarding nuclear energy are outlined on the EURATOM Treaty, which is based on the need to protect "the public and the workforce from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation."
British prime minister Tony Blair has said he wants to build more nuclear rectors to produce energy in order to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Six years ago, Germany committed to shutting down all of its 17 nuclear power plants by 2021. This year, German chancellor Angela Merkel implied that she might be in favour of keeping them open, declaring, "It remains a fact that the phase-out has consequences and that we must not have a ban on thinking, especially those who say 'We don't want nuclear energy' must take part in finding answers."
Governments in the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland have also taken action in favour of keeping their reactors open—at least for now.
Polling Data
Are you in favour or opposed to the use of nuclear energy in your country? - Please use a scale from 1 to 7, '1' would mean that you are "strongly opposed" to this energy source and '7' would mean that you are "strongly in favour" of it. Codes 1-2 correspond to "opposed", 3-5 "balanced views" and 6-7 "in favour".
In favour | 20% |
Balanced views | 36% |
Opposed | 37% |
Not sure | 6% |
Source: TNS Opinion & Social / Eurobarometer
Methodology: Interviews with 24,815 people ages 15 and over in the 25 European Union (EU) member nations, two acceding countries, and two candidate countries, conducted from May 5 to Jul. 11, 2006. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
