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Friends of the Earth Europe calls on EU Competitiveness Council to stop nuclear contamination of EU R&D budget
Research funds used for revival of risky nuclear technologies like reprocessing, fast breeders and the development of new reactors

Brussels, 13 March 2006 - Today the EU ministers of the Competitiveness Council meet in Brussels to discuss the EU's 7th research framework programme (FP7). The current EU Commission proposal for the FP7 is remarkable as it once again creates a special case for nuclear power. Energy as a whole is set to receive Euro 2951 million, while nuclear power is set to receive Euro 4753 million under the Euratom Programme. Furthermore, because nuclear R&D comes under the Euratom Treaty, there is no Parliamentary co-decision required, only consultation with the decision taken solely by the European Council.

Friends of the Earth looked into the nuclear projects behind the figures. Part of the research money is to go into the development of new and better reactors and the so-called closed fuel cycle. The European Commission supports this effort by injecting money into the Generation IV initiative, an international research group. A closer look into this group shows that Generation IV is a mere marketing stunt trying to breath new life into old technologies like spent fuel reprocessing and fast breeder reactors and create new myths like the "proliferation resistant reactor".

Silva Herrmann, Friends of the Earth Europe nuclear campaigner said: "Reprocessing " the separation of plutonium from spent nuclear fuel is probably the most environmentally and human health damaging component of the nuclear fuel cycle, as we see in Sellafield. Fast breeders, designed to "breed" more plutonium than they consume, have historically failed technically and economically".

Silva Herrmann added: "The reactors are supposed to be ´proliferation-resistant. This will remain nuclear industry´s dream: Nuclear energy use can never be safe from the possibility of diversion of plutonium and uranium to build a nuclear or "dirty" bomb. Reprocessing provides for an even deadlier recipe: The separation of plutonium from spent fuel makes bomb material even more accessible. We urge the ministers of the EU25 to stop the EU Commission from using public money for the development of nuclear reactors, but rather invest in energy efficiency and renewables. We need energy forms for the future, not from the past."

The Friends of the Earth paper on the nuclear projects "EU millions on a nuclear expansion programme with fast breeders, on- site reprocessing and so called proliferation resistant reactors" in the current EU Commission proposal is available at:  http://www.foeeurope.org/publications/2006/paper_on_FP7_13March2006.pdf

Contact:
Silva Herrmann: mob +0043(0)699 14200017

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