There are about 440 reactors in operation in the world, representing an installed capacity of more than 350,000 MW and 17% of total electricity generation in the world in 2005.
In 2004, the nuclear sector supplied 31% of the electricity in the 25 European Union countries, of which 14 are 'nuclearised'. Some of these countries, including Germany, Sweden and Belgium have adopted a policy of withdrawal. Others have opted for a moratorium on new capacity. Finland and France, for their part, have decided on the construction of a new reactor, as have Rumania, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
In February 2003, the law which embodied the Belgian government's desire to end the generation of electricity by means of nuclear power stations in Belgium was published in the Belgian Official Journal (Moniteur belge). The law provides for the closure of the 7 nuclear (fission) reactors in operation in Belgium after a maximum period of 40 years from the date of their first commissioning, that is until 2015 for the first reactors, which are Doel 1/2 and Tihange 1 and 2025 for the last ones. However, the law stipulates that an exception may be made in the case of "force majeure" (for reasons of security of supply, for example).
