European Nuclear Threats: Old and New

Energia Klub Hungary
EU Enlargement Watch
CEE Bankwatch Network
Nuclear Information & Resource Service
WISE Amsterdam

November 2003

Introduction

The last phase of the process towards enlargement of the European Union offers opportunities to strenghten the pressure for closure of the Eastern European nuclear reactors.

A majority of the current fifteen EU members are de facto nuclear free or have at least decided to step out of the nuclear era and stop using nuclear power for electricity production. Already in 1997 the EU described its policy on nuclear safety in the process towards enlargement of the Union with 10 Central and Eastern European countries.

Despite all rethorics and despite the significant budget spent on nuclear safety in the enlargement countries there has been no satisfactory reduction in risk to the environment or to the citizens of Europe to which reactors in the CEE countries pose.

In this report we describe the dangerous and inconsistent policy on the highly important issue of nuclear safety. With the report we hope to increase the knowledge, provide tools for campaigning efforts and inspiration for people to take action!

Authors	Energia Klub, Hungary
	CEE Bankwatch Network, Czech Republic
	EU Enlargement Watch, United Kingdom
	WISE, Netherlands
Editing and production	Antony Froggatt and Peer de Rijk
Lay-out	Steven van Hekelen

This report is published as a special issue of the Nuclear Monitor, the bi-weekly newsletter of World Information Service on Energy (WISE) and Nuclear Information & Resource Service (NIRS). It counts for issues #596, #597 and #598

The report and associative activities were made possible by the financial assistance of:

The Grassroots Foundation
WISE Netherlands

Summary

1. The enlargement of the EU

1.1 Impact in Accession Countries

1.1.1 Closure of reactors; initial agreements

1.1.2 Closure of reactors; Helsinki agreements

1.2 Euratom reform

1.2.1 The Convention and the review of the Euratom treaty

1.2.2 Promotional functions of the Euratom treaty

1.3 Commission proposals in the nuclear package

1.4 Conclusions