AN emergency planning agreement has been signed by ministers from the Channel Islands and their French counterparts which would guarantee “rapid” responses in the event of a nuclear incident.
The Service Level Agreement “provides information for emergency planning purposes” if such an event were to take place on the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy, where Flamanville nuclear power station is located.
Offshore wind farms and marine spatial plans were also on the agenda in the latest series of talks between the jurisdictions, which were due to take place in person in Jersey but were instead held remotely due to weather disruption.
The French delegation is to carry out a rescheduled visit to the Island in summer next year as politicians look to strengthen diplomatic ties.
Jersey’s emergency plans were recently updated in the wake of a review, carried out by the UK Health Security Agency, into nuclear risks to the Channel Islands which looked at a number of “worst-case scenarios” involving a nuclear or radiological incident.
Jersey’s Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat signed the SLA with Guernsey counterpart Deputy Rob Prow and the Prefect of La Manche, Xavier Brunetière, who said it “marks the common willingness to further our discussions in order to guarantee rapid and relevant responses in the event of a nuclear incident”.
The Island’s Environment Minister Steve Luce meanwhile discussed offshore wind projects in the region, with a £1.8 billion wind farm off Brittany which is visible from Jersey’s coastline generating its first electricity for the French grid last year.
In April this year, the States Assembly approved a proposition to further investigate the opportunity to develop a wind farm, of up to one gigawatt in generating capacity, in the south-west of Jersey’s territorial waters.
Inter-island relations have become strained in recent weeks following Guernsey’s decision to announce Brittany Ferries as its preferred bidder to operate ferry services. However, ministers from Jersey and Guernsey were both keen to stress the benefits of collaborative working in comments issued yesterday following Monday’s meeting.
External Relations Minister Ian Gorst said: “Jersey, Guernsey and France are close partners across a range of areas and collaboration benefits us all. We continue to work alongside our French and Guernsey colleagues and we recognise the importance of regular dialogue, particularly when it comes to renewable energy and marine protection.”
Deputy Gorst added: “It is significant that the Prefet delegation were due to visit for in-person meetings for the first time, in an official capacity this week, and I look forward to welcoming colleagues from France and Guernsey to Jersey next year to build on our discussions and progress tripartite cooperation across these critical areas.”
Guernsey’s External Affairs Minister, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, said: “As part of our good neighbour policy with France, the engagement with the Prefets supports the commitment from both Guernsey and Jersey for ongoing cooperation with the French State.
“The sharing of information is a valuable tool in framing how Guernsey, Jersey and France develop the use of the seas around the Channel Islands and in the surrounding area, as well as understanding the potential impact that our plans may have on each other.”
