France Unfit to Represent EU at Nukes Talks

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>>  GREENPEACE SAYS FRANCE UNFIT TO REPRESENT EU 


                    ************************
                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
                    ************************
 
>>  GREENPEACE SAYS FRANCE UNFIT TO REPRESENT EU 
    AT U.N. NUCLEAR TALKS
 
BRUSSELS, March 3 1995 (GP) France's role as a nuclear weapon
state makes it unfit to represent non-nuclear European Union
states at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a
Greenpeace report released today concludes.
 
European Union Foreign Ministers meet Monday (March 6) in
Brussels to discuss the Union's common position on the future of
the NPT, which will be decided in New York next month.
 
France, as President of the European Union, will represent all
European Union States, with a range of nuclear policies from 
fellow nuclear weapon state Britain through to formerly neutral
Ireland and Austria.  Other keen proponents of nuclear
disarmament, such as Sweden, will also be represented by France. 
 
The report concludes that France's record on nuclear
proliferation and disarmament is extremely poor.  It has
obstructed progress on a nuclear test ban treaty, never entered
arms reduction talks, and assisted Iraq, Israel, South Africa and
Pakistan with suspected nuclear weapons programmes.  
 
The report notes that non-nuclear states in Europe have
effectively abdicated  any role in publicly criticising France's
non-proliferation record, and warns that this could lead to a
perception that France is hiding behind the non-proliferation
credentials of the other European Union states.
 
Greenpeace has written to the Foreign Ministers of all non-
nuclear European Union states, urging them to promote a robust
evaluation of all members' implementation of their
NPT obligations, and to re-consider support for indefinite
extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in favour of a stronger
commitment to real progress on nuclear weapons reductions and
other disarmament measures.
 
ENDS
 
Further information:  Stephanie Mills, Greenpeace International
Non Proliferation Treaty Project Coordinator or Jan van de Putte
at Greenpeace Brussels Friday March 3 and Monday March 6 on +32
2201 1944 or subsequently on +44 71 354 5100.