EU LEADERS MUST END PRO-NUCLEAR CONSTITUTION

 

(Brussels, 3 October) European leaders must end the Union's pro-nuclear constitutional bias or risk declining public support for the new constitution, says Friends of the Earth Europe.

The Euratom Treaty, signed alongside the EEC treaty in 1957, has led the EU to actively promote ''a powerful nuclear industry'' ever since. [1]
Euratom is the only treaty not to be overhauled by the European Convention.
This failure has since been criticised by the European Parliament, which last week called for Euratom's ''obsolete and outdated'' aspects to end. [2]
However, the Euratom may be re-adopted without any substantial changes by the
Inter-Governmental Conference, which begins in Rome tomorrow. [3]

Friends of the Earth Europe campaigner Mark Johnston said:
"It is plainly absurd that we would wish to continue promoting the nuclear industry in this way."
"Nuclear power is dangerous, polluting, uneconomic and unpopular. After ratification, the new and old treaties would together form EU primary law, binding again the Union's institutions and staff into a pro-nuclear bias."
"Member state governments must agree to radically overhaul Euratom and abolish its promotional powers. They should instead allow a technology-neutral primary energy law that enables all options to compete equally on their merits."

Contact: Mark Johnston +44 79 7331 9249

Notes:
[1] Euratom is the commonly used short form of European Atomic Energy Community. It task,
stated in Article 1, is to create the "conditions necessary" for a "powerful nuclear industry".
[2] Parliament's Opinion to the IGC, 24 September, paragraph 13.
[3] Draft Constitutional Treaty (Euratom Protocol), July 2003
All documents cited are available on request: abolish.euratom@foeeurope.org