Translation of "Installations nucléaires à usage pacifique " (French → English) :

The Commission considers that nuclear power can contribute to the diversification and the security of the energy supply for a number of reasons, in particular the availability and distribution of nuclear fuel (natural uranium), the limited impact of price variations for this fuel on plant operating costs and the existence of market supervision for nuclear materials for peaceful use.

The new Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities is aimed at ensuring effective physical protection during the use, storage or transport of materials used for peaceful purposes, as well as preventing and fighting crime associated with this material and these facilities.

Under the Euratom Treaty, the European Commission has the task of ensuring that accounting and administrative procedures are in place to ensure that nuclear materials in possession of companies operating nuclear facilities in the EU are not diverted from the peaceful uses for which they have been declared.

The Commission has a clear responsibility under the Euratom Treaty, for all matters relating to non-proliferation, control of nuclear materials, and health protection against radiation: 300 inspectors carry out regular controls on all nuclear installations in the Union and verify that the quantity and use of nuclear materials correspond to the declared purposes.

The new Agreement, which will remain in force for 30 years, followed possibly by subsequent 5-year roll-over periods, guarantees the following framework as long as it remains in force: 1.Any non-sensitive nuclear activities, as well as enrichment up to 20%, irradiation of fissile materials and post-irradiation examination involving chemical dissolution or separation of irradiated nuclear material will be freely and unconditionally allowed. 2.Retransfers to third countries will be authorised on a long-term basis according to procedures ...[+++] set out in the agreement. 3.Storage of sensitive fissile material will be possible in any facility that meets the usual physical protection levels. 4.Reprocessing and alteration in form or content (e.g. fabrication of certain fuel elements) of sensitive fissile materials will take place under a generic programmatic consent, in facilities forming part of the list of nuclear facilities ("peaceful programme") listed by each party.

The Governments of the Member States and the Commission of the European Communities were represented as follows: Belgium Mr Jan DE BOCK Deputy Permanent Representative Denmark Mr Jann SJURSEN Minister for Energy Mr Soeren SKAFTE State Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Energy Germany Mr Dieter von WÜRZEN State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs Greece Mr Georges APOSTOLAKIS Secretary-General for Energy Spain Mr Claudio ARANZADI Minister for Industry and Energy France Mr Gérard LONGUET Minister for Energy and External Trade Ireland Mr Brian COWEN Minister for Energy Italy Mr Paolo SAVONA Minister for Industry Luxembourg Mr Alex BODRY Minister for Energy Netherlands Mr Koos ANDRIESSEN Minister for Energy Portugal Mr Luis Filipe ...[+++]PEREIRA State Secretary for Energy United Kingdom Mr Timothy EGGAR Minister for Energy * * * Commission Mr Abel MATUTES Member NUCLEAR SAFETY IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE AND THE FORMER USSR - COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS "THE COUNCIL, committed to assisting with improving the nuclear safety in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and aware of the need for sustainable, medium and long-term solutions, to energy supply problems of those coutries, 1.recalls the Council conclusions of 7 December 1992 on nuclear safety in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, involving measures under the Community's PHARE and TACIS programmes for immediate improvements in the safety of nuclear power plants; recalls the importance of the G-24 mechanism for the co-ordination of assistance programmes and the leading role of the Community in this area; recalls also the Community's intended contribution to the multilateral fund for nuclear safety in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union; 2.notes the assistance already provided by the Community for an immediate improvement in the safety of the plants in question, as presented in the report tabled by the Commiss ...