Germany As Plut Trader-Nuke Talks Threatened

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> GERMAN MOVE TO BECOME LEADER IN TRADE IN PLUTONIUM THREATENS


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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> GERMAN MOVE TO BECOME LEADER IN TRADE IN PLUTONIUM THREATENS
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR TALKS WARNS GREENPEACE
 
BRUSSELS, March 29 1995 (GP) Through confidential agreements with
the Belgian, British and French nuclear industries, Germany is
planning a massive expansion of its plutonium program.  The move
threatens to overturn nuclear trade talks with the United States
that begin today in Brussels, and jeopardizes the
European position at the imminent Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) Review conference.
 
The new move by Germany has been led by the Siemens company's
signing of contracts for 239 tonnes of plutonium fuel (a
mixture of plutonium and uranium), with Belgium, French and UK
companies. In addition, secret talks are now underway between
German electrical utilities and Britain and France for the
production of 600 tonnes of plutonium fuel.
 
The move threatens to provide essential economic and political
support for the controversial international trade in weapons-
usable plutonium.  Current and future German MOX fuel
contracts will support the completion of old and construction of
new storage and fuel fabrication facilities.  In addition, the
MOX contracts will put tens of tonnes of weapons-usable plutonium
on the road and rails of Europe.  In all cases, the facilities
and transport network greatly increase the danger of seizure
and/or diversion of nuclear weapons material.     
"The contracts, both signed and under negotiation, amount to a
reckless and unjustified expansion of plutonium trafficking in
Europe," said Shaun Burnie of Greenpeace.  "Germany, France,
Britain and Belgium have been outspoken about ending plutonium
trafficking in Eastern Europe and yet they are fostering for
their own profits an unprecedented expansion of weapons-usable
plutonium trading in Western Europe.  This is madness."
 
The revelation about increased plutonium trading in Western
Europe comes as an high level U.S. official, Lynn Davis,
arrives in Brussels to hold nuclear trade talks with Leon
Brittain (European Commissioner for Trade and OECD affairs) and
Energy Commissioner Christos Papoutsis.  Their talks are an
attempt to try to resolve disputes that are holding up the
U.S./EURATOM Agreement, which expires at the end of 1995. 
This agreement lays out the various aspect of nuclear
cooperation between the US and Western European nations.
 
One of the major issues unresolved is EURATOM opposition to US
control requirements over plutonium facilities in Europe which
would operate with U.S. origin nuclear material.  Because of this
and other issues of disagreement, it appears likely that
negotiations on the US/EURATOM agreement may not be concluded
before the Agreement lapses at the end of 1995.
 
Greenpeace has sent a letter to the US Embassy in Brussels
supporting the US government's attempt to control plutonium  
proliferation and trading.  The letter argues that a European
market in weapons-usable plutonium amounts to a regional as well
as international proliferation threat.
 
The new developments in the European plutonium industry also come
weeks before the NPT Review Conference opens in New York.  
Non-nuclear state parties to the agreement have raised
concerns about the proliferation of and trading in plutonium
which is driven primarily by the Western Europeans and Japan.   
 
"Plutonium trading in Europe threatens to upset the cause of
nuclear non-proliferation world-wide," said Burnie "With
Belgium, Britain, France and Germany seeking to put tens of
tonnes of weapons-usable plutonium into commerce, it becomes all
but impossible to guarantee that these weapons fuels will not one
day be used for military purposes.  The half-life of a modern
government is some 4 years while the half-life of
plutonium is 25,000 years."  
 
ENDS
 
for further information:
 
Shaun Burnie: 31 20 523 6222 (amsterdam)
              31 20 523 6200 fax
 
NOTE: The details of the contract negotiations are contained
within the March 17th issue of the nuclear trade journal,
Nucleonics Week.