PROMOTING NUCLEAR ENERGY: THE EURATOM TREATY

When it comes to nuclear power, the 21st century European Union follows 50 years old policies. The EURATOM treaty, one of the founding documents of the European Union, has never been revised since it was conceived half a century ago -- at a time when society, politics and science believed that nuclear power would one day solve virutally all problems related to energy.

The EURATOM Treaty, establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, was signed in 1957 with the purpose of assisting the development of nuclear power. The treaty entered into force in 1958. The treaty, channels research funds to the nuclear power industry and includes a lending facility with billions of Euro to help build or improve nuclear power plants. As a result, the EU is the world's leading nuclear generator.

In contrast to all other founding treaties of the European Union, the EURATOM Treaty has never been substantially revised. A similar treaty, the treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, expired in July 2002 - fifty years after it came into force. But the EURATOM Treaty does not contain an expiry provision.

All EU Member States, including the new ones, are automatically members of the European Atomic Energy Community -- whose main objective is the "speedy establishment and growth of nuclear industries". This is the case despite the European public largely being opposed to nuclear energy, not to speak about its expansion, and despite the fact that several Member States have phased out nuclear power or have agreed to do so in the future.

The EURATOM Treaty supports an outdated, dangerous 'high-risk' and expensive technology, which does not deserve any promotional status. The treaty also has a 'democratic deficit'. Other than in many other issues of policy making, the European Parliament has no influence e.g. over budget issues under the EURATOM Treaty. Also, there is a 'conflict of interest' within the treaty, that both aims to promote the nuclear industry as well as regulate it, which clearly undermines nuclear safety issues.

The EURATOM loan facility

Due to pressure from pro-nuclear governments and industry, the European Council established a special loan facility for the development of nuclear technology in 1977. At favourable interest rates, companies in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy and other EU Member States were encouraged to make use of these loans. In total 50 loans, worth 2,8 billion Euro, were granted. However, no new nuclear power plants have been ordered since 1989 and consequently, no further applications have been made within the EU.

The nuclear industry discovered new customers in the former Eastern bloc and the loans followed the market. In 1994 the European Council decided to extend the field of action and EURATOM loans were made available to projects for the "increase of safety and efficiency of nuclear power plants" in Central and Eastern Europe.

EURATOM research

In the 6th Framework Programme the funds for nuclear research were spent in the following manner: 330 million on further research in the area of nuclear fission, 150 million on research into final storage of nuclear waste, and thermonuclear fusion research is the winner with 700 million Euro.

For the 7th Framework Programme the European Commission has proposed a budget where the share for nuclear would increase considerably. More precisely, it would mean an increase of 263% for fusion research; the planned research reactor ITER (Thermo-Nuclear Experimental Reactor) is slated to receive 2167 million Euro; nuclear fission and radiation protection gets an increase of 188% and nuclear activities at the Joint Research Centre will have 169% more to spend. The Commission, the European Parliament and EU Member States will decide the final amounts in 2006.