NORTH EAST ATLANTIC COUNTRIES CALL ON UK AND FRANCE TO END NUCLEAR REPROCESSING

29 June 2000

PARIS/COPENHAGEN -- The UK and France were isolated today by a decision calling for an end to nuclear reprocessing and the implementation of dry storage at the annual meeting of the OSPAR Convention, in Copenhagen (1).

The legally-binding decision adopted by OSPAR says "that the current authorisations for discharges or releases of radioactive substances from nuclear reprocessing facilities shall be reviewed as a matter of priority by their competent national authorities with a view to, inter alia, implementing the non-reprocessing option (for example, dry storage) for spent nuclear fuel management at appropriate facilities."

Greenpeace International Political Director Remi Parmentier said: "This is a decisive moment with far reaching consequences, never before has such a strong message been sent by so many countries calling for an end to reprocessing. This truly isolates the UK and France."

"The UK and France will argue that they are not bound by a decision that they did not support, but in reality they are politically and publicly isolated if they continue to pollute the oceans against the wishes of their neighbouring countries, and the public. The truth is that they will now have to stop nuclear reprocessing sooner than later."

The Decision seeks to implement a ban on nuclear reprocessing, by requiring the UK and France to change the authorisations at Sellafield, La Hague and Dounreay to make reprocessing there illegal. However, the ban will be delayed for as long as the UK and France refuse to accept the Decision, and refuse to implement dry storage, as required by today' s decision.

In the meanwhile, Cogema announced that they had temporarily stopped discharging radioactive waste. The announcement comes two days after Greenpeace had installed the OSPAR devices (Objects to Stop Pollution from Accumulation of Radioactivity) at the end of the nuclear waste discharge pipe of the French reprocessing plant. The devices have been removed by Cogema on Thursday afternoon. Each valve divided the radioactive discharge into six separate streams, one for each of the Cogema's client countries.

"Every day that the UK and France fly in the face of overwhelming international opposition and do not accept this ban is a day of radioactive pollution to many. La Hague and Sellafield spill hundreds of millions of liters of radioactive waste into the sea annually and should immediately end these discharges pending the implementation of today's OSPAR decision," said Mike Townsley of Greenpeace International.

The MV Greenpeace, the flag-ship of the environmental group, will leave the waters of La Hague tomorrow. However, Greenpeace is committed to its ongoing campaign to stop reprocessing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Remi Parmentier, Greenpeace International, mobile +45 22 72 38 63
(in Copenhagen)
- Mike Townsley, Greenpeace International, mobile + 31 6 21 29 69 18 (in Copenhagen)
- Dan Hindsgaul, Greenpeace Communications, mobile +45 28 10 90 21 (in Copenhagen)
- Luisa Colasimone, Greenpeace Communications, mobile +31 6 21 29 69 20 (in Paris)

Stills available, +31 6 535 19 121

Check the OSPAR web site and Greenpeace's nuclear discharges campaign
at:
www.ospar.org AND www.greenpeace.org/~nuclear/ospar2000/

(1) The following countries voted in favour of the Decision, thereby reaching the necessary ¾ majority of the contracting parties: Denmark, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Norway, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, and Ireland. France and the UK abstained. Luxembourg was not present and The European Union abstained.