Proposition 53K2958

Projet de loi modifiant la loi du 15 avril 1994 relative à la protection de la population et de l'environnement contre les dangers résultant des rayonnements ionisants et relative à l'Agence fédérale de Contrôle nucléaire, en ce qui concerne la surveillance dosimétrique.

General information ¶

Submitted by

PS | SP the Di Rupo government

Submission date

July 19, 2013

Official page

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Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

nuclear energy environmental protection nuclear safety radioactive waste

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP ∉ Open Vld N-VA LDD MR VB

Contact form ¶

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Discussion ¶

Nov. 14, 2013 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

I refer to the written report.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Minister, in response to a question on the subject that we are dealing with, you promised me, in commission on July 9, last year, that you would submit a bill in September. You kept your word and I would like to thank you.

This issue is critical for all workers in the nuclear sector. Since the vote on the resolution of 26 April 2007 aimed at improving the operation of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control, there has been a clear call from Parliament for better regulation on active dosimetry as well as a real guarantee that workers exposed to ionizing radiation receive the necessary medical follow-up.

On behalf of my group, I would therefore like to welcome the bill of the Minister of the Interior. For several years, we have been asking for progress in this matter and for a better protection for all workers exposed to ionizing radiation. In 2009, I, together with my colleagues, had submitted a first bill on the subject. This bill, attached today to the proposal of the minister, ⁇ emphasized the phenomenon of subcontracting. Those sometimes called Nuclear Nomads are increasingly employed, in Belgium and elsewhere, for various operations ranging from maintenance or dismantling of power plants to welding or carpentry work in nuclear installations. This is why our bill specified the category of workers acting as subcontractors. It also required that subcontractors employed by an external undertaking or subcontractors providing staff must comply with the same conditions in terms of dosimetry. As you know, we are not talking about a single level of subcontracting. We must not shut our eyes on the phenomenon of cascading subcontracting that complicates things in terms of the status of workers but also in terms of monitoring the cumulative exposure of these workers.

The only question that remained for my group, upon reading the bill, was the phrase “if possible” contained in article 25, § 6.

Indeed, as I pointed out above, it was crucial for the PS to cover all workers in the nuclear sector in the same way. But these two simple words in the text presented the risk of seeing the workers’ exposure register not as an absolute obligation but as a recommendation. For us, it was out of question to see a different security policy depending on the status of the workers.

I would therefore like to thank my colleagues, as well as the Minister, for their support for the proposed amendment with a view to removing those two words that could result in a real difference in safety between workers in the same sector.

Mr. Speaker, I will conclude by once again highlighting the real progress that this bill constitutes for all the workers in the nuclear sector.

I would like to join a substantial part of Mr Thiébaut’s speech.

During my speech in the committee, I emphasized that the nuclear sector is not just a sector. Therefore, it is appropriate to take the necessary measures on the level of protection and working conditions politically.

We will support the bill with enthusiasm. It means a step forward. Various groups, including our group, but ⁇ Mr Thiébaut’s group, have long sought initiatives in this regard. It is, therefore, good that the draft is presented to Parliament today.

I would like to highlight a number of further points during this discussion.

Mrs. Minister, I also cited during the committee that there is enormous mobility in the nuclear sector, with many temporary forces, and that the sector is undergoing internationalization. I would like to ask you to keep your finger on the wrist in this regard, together with the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control, because that trend is not innocent in terms of working conditions, protection, and so on.

A second focus point is the cooperation agreement necessary to enable the implementation of the bill between the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control and the WASO. We believe it is important that this work be done quickly.

In conclusion, I would like to point out that we will support the bill. It is a step forward for an important and very specific sector. We hope that you will also develop initiatives in a number of other areas of nuclear security during this legislature. In that case, you may have a palmares that can be seen somewhat.

There is no more intervention.

I have received a lot of congratulations, including from Mr. by Calvo.

First of all, I would like to thank the Commission for its support. I welcome the progress made by the government and parliament on a long-awaited project that will greatly improve the protection of workers, both through the centralization of information at the level of the exposure register and through the provisions envisaged. I will be very attentive to take them as soon as possible, and I will present them to the committee.

I will present to the committee as soon as possible the various KBs for the guidance and implementation of the draft law.