Germany to shut 7 pre-1980 nuclear plants

EU meeting to discuss future of industry

BERLIN / BRUSSELS - Germany will shut down all seven of its nuclear power plants that began operation before 1980 and it is unclear whether they will start up again, the government said on Tuesday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the closures under a nuclear policy moratorium imposed following Japan's crisis, and said they would be carried out by government decree as no agreement with the plants' operators had been reached.