Amid soaring public concern on nuclear energy, the EU is gathering ministers, national safety chiefs and leaders of the powerful nuclear industry for talks scheduled from 1300 GMT.

With some 150 reactors scattered across the continent in half as many nuclear power plants -- some located in seismic areas -- the talks will include "thorough assessment of the situation" and "possible implications for the EU safety framework", said European energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger.

Japan's nuclear emergency Monday prompted Germany and Switzerland to halt nuclear programmes with Italy and Poland for the time being suspending plans to sign on to nuclear energy.

Oettinger said in a letter of invitation to the meeting that the talks notably would look at operations at European reactors similar to those in Japan, earthquake contingency planning, cooling problems, and evacuation procedures.

"EU preparedness for parallel emergencies occurring at several nuclear installations" was also on the agenda.

In Germany, where anti-nuclear activists say 100,000 people protested on Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the provisional shut-down for three months of seven nuclear reactors pending a safety review in light of events in Japan.

She had said the previous day that "we cannot just go back to business as usual" as events in Japan "teach us that risks that were thought to be completely impossible cannot in fact be completely ruled out."

Nuclear-free Austria meanwhile has asked the EU for stress tests on nuclear plants.

"We are demanding maximum safety guarantees for the Austrian people and all of our neighbours must be able to provide the same guarantee for their citizens," Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich said Monday.

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