BRUSSELS » The European Union says it’s considering stress tests for nuclear plants to find out whether they can withstand earthquakes or other emergencies.

EU spokeswoman Marlene Holzner says the issue will be discussed by a hastily convened meeting of energy ministers, nuclear regulators and industry officials in the wake of Japan’s nuclear crisis.

It wasn’t immediately clear what the stress tests would consist of.

The officials meeting in Brussels will also debate Germany’s decision to take seven of its 17 nuclear reactors offline for three months while the country reconsiders plans to extend the life of its atomic power plants.