ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(82)36
Vol.1982/0014

Disclaimer
Conformément aurèglement(CEE,Euratom)n°354/83duConseildu1erfévrier1983
concernantl'ouvertureaupublicdesarchiveshistoriquesdelaCommunauté économique
européenne etdelaCommunauté européenne del'énergieatomique(JOL43du15.2.1983,
p.1),telquemodifiéparlerèglement(CE,Euratom)n°1700/2003du22septembre2003
(JOL243du27.9.2003,p.1),cedossierestouvertaupublic.Lecaséchéant,lesdocuments
classifiésprésentsdanscedossierontétédéclassifiés conformément àl'article5dudit
règlement.
Inaccordance withCouncilRegulation(EEC,Euratom)No354/83of1February1983
concerningtheopeningtothepublicofthehistoricalarchivesoftheEuropeanEconomic
Community andtheEuropeanAtomicEnergyCommunity (OJL43,15.2.1983,p.1),as
amendedbyRegulation(EC,Euratom)No1700/2003of22September2003(OJL243,
27.9.2003,p.1),thisfileisopentothepublic.Wherenecessary,classifieddocuments inthis
filehavebeendeclassified inconformitywithArticle5oftheaforementioned regulation.
InÜbereinstimmung mitderVerordnung(EWG,Euratom)Nr.354/83desRatesvom1.
Februar1983überdieFreigabederhistorischen ArchivederEuropäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft undderEuropäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI.L43vom15.2.1983,
S.1),geändertdurchdieVerordnung (EG,Euratom)Nr.1700/2003vom22.September2003
(ABI.L243vom27.9.2003,S.1),istdieseDateiderÖffentlichkeit zugänglich.Soweit
erforderlich,wurdendieVerschlusssachen indieserDateiinÜbereinstimmung mitArtikel5
dergenanntenVerordnungfreigegeben.

COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(82)36 final
Brussels,9thFebruary1982
it■ pS,1
i'o;,»,/-*>/
-■J?
ANENERGYSTRATEGY FORTHECOMMUNITY
THENUCLEAR ASPECTS
(Communication fromtheCommission totheCouncil)
C0M(82)36final

ANENERGY STRATEGY FORTHE COMMUNITY
THE NUCLEAR ASPECTS
(Communication from theCommission tothe Council )
CONTENTS
A)Part One :IÎ2S_2£2ê££i_Si£!S9£2yD2
I.Nuclear energy and theCommunity 'sdependence
II.Theeconomic impact ofnuclear energy
III .Medium-term perspectives
IV.The role ofthe national and Community authorities
B)Part_Two :£ommunit^_action_to_tack ]1e_the _grob ]iems 23-57
I.Investigating theeconomic aspects ofthedevelopment 23
ofnuclear power
II.Ensuring a"regular andequitable supply "ofnuclear 27
fuels
III .Providing safeguards fornuclear materials within the 39
Community and helping tostrengthen the consensus required
for aworld-wide safeguards system
IV.Contributing totheprotection ofthehealth andsafety 46
ofthepublic and workers and toenvrionmental protection
V.Providing continuity for R&D work and ensuring that its r«
results are put tothe best possible use
VI.Contributing toproviding full and reliable information 55
for thepublic onquestions regarding nuclear energyP.aragraph
1-22
1
7
13
20
C)Conclusions 58

1
A)Part One :The General Background
I.Nuclear energy andtheCommunity 'sdependence
1.InitsCommunication onthedevelopment ofanenergy strategy forthe
(1)Community ,theCommission underlined theCommunity 'sobjectives ,which
canbesummarised asaneffort toreduce dependence onoilbymeans ofa
more rational useofenergy and agreater diversification ofsupplies .
2.TheCommunity must continue unceasingly initsefforts toensure that
alternative energy sources (solar andgeothermal energy ,wind power ,etc.)
and later thermonuclear fusion can asquickly aspossible make asignificant
contribution toenergy supplies .Some substitution foroilproducts isalready
provided bynatural gasthrough itsuse inindustry andthehome .Nevertheless ,
between nowandtheyear 2000 ,anyreal diversification canbeachieved only
byhaving recourse tocoal andnuclear power .
Coal isthesubject ofasimultaneous Communication totheCouncil^while
theaim ofthepresent Communication istoexamine theconditions for amore
widespread recourse tonuclear power andtooutline theaction tobetaken
atCommunity level inorder totackle thespecific problems posed bythis
energy source asregards :
-thesupply offuels ;
-thesafeguarding ofnuclear materials ;
-theprotection ofthehealth andsafety ofworkers andthegeneral public
andtheprotection oftheenvironment ;
-information tothepublic .
3.Asregards thesecurity ofsupply ,nuclear energy makes apositive
contribution totheCommunity inseveral respects :
-ithelps todiversify thetype ofenergies used andthegeographical
origin ofsupplies ;
-thanks tothespecific properties ofthefuel used ,itenables huge
amounts ofpotential energy tobestored fairly easily andatrelatively
lowcost ;
-European industry hasgained access tothewhole ofnuclear technology
including allthestages inthefuel cycle .
1}C0MC81 )540final ,1.10.1981 .
(2)C0M(82>31 ,27.1.82 .

2
Lastly,itshouldbestressedthatafterbeingusedintoday'sthermal
reactors,uraniumlosesonlyasmallfraction(1-2%)ofitsenergycontent.
Theadoptioninfutureofthefastreactordesign-atechnology thatis
moreadvancedinEuropethanelsewhere-willmakeitpossibletoincrease
theenergyyieldfromuraniumabout60-fold.
4.IntheCommunitytoday,16%ofelectricity production,i.e.6%ofoverall
energyconsumption,isalreadysuppliedbynuclearenergybymeansofa
networkofpowerstationswhoseavailablecapacityamountsto41,000MWe.
AccordingtotheMemberStates'forecasts,thiscapacityshouldexceed
110,000MWeby1990.Nuclearenergythussubstituted morethan56million
tonnesofoilequivalent (toe)in1981andshouldsubstitute morethan
150milliontoeby1990.
ThesefiguresshouldbecomparedwiththeCommunity'snetoilimports,which
amountedtonearly370milliontoein1981andshouldrise,accordingto
MemberStates'forecasts,toapproximately 460milliontoeby1990.
5.Theachievements madeinnuclearenergyandtheprospectsforitsfurther
development asoutlinedabovehavenevertheless undergone aserious(i.e.
morethan50%)setbackcomparedwiththeobjectives theCommunitysetfor
(1)itselfon17December1974.Thissetbackcanbeexplained :
-partlybyamuchlowergrowthinelectricity demandthanwasenvisagedat
thetime.(Thisphenomenon,whichisalsoduetoapraiseworthy effort
tosaveenergy,mainlyreflectsthereducedrateofeconomicgrowththat
theCommunityisexperiencing atpresent;aneconomicrecoverywouldnot
failtohaverepercussions ontheexpansioninthedemandforelectricity .
Furthermore ,inthecontextofamorerationaluseofenergyandan
optimisation ofthecosttotheconsumer,increasedmarketpenetration
possibilities forelectricity canbepredicted.);
-toagreaterextentbyoppositiontonuclearpower,whichhasresultedin
theimplementation ofalargenumberofprojectsbeingabandonedor
postponed.Suchopposition hasmadeitselffelttodifferingdegreesin
theMemberStatesthatareimplementing nuclearprogrammes;thegeneral
picturedoesnotthereforetrulyreflectthesituationineachMemberState.
(1)In.tsResolution,theCouncilsetthefollowingobjectiveforthedevelopment
ofnuclearenergy://anavailableinstalledcapacityofatleast160.000MWe,
andifpossibleof2G0,000MWe,by1985.//Currentforecastsenvisagea
capacityofapproximately 70,000MWebeingreachedbytheyear1985.

3
6.Since1974,theCommunityhasperiodically felttheneedtoreviseitsenergy
objectives;accordingtothelatestrevision,datingfrom
June1980,theshareofelectricity productionbasedoncoalandnuclear
energyshouldrangebetween70and75%oftotalproduction by1990.
AccordingtocurrentforecastscarriedoutbytheMemberStates,thisshare
shouldprovetobeingoodagreementwiththeseobjectives,beingbroken
downapproximately asfollows:nuclearpower38%andcoal38%.
Nevertheless,suchforecastsrevealawidevariationintheshareofnuclear
powerinthedifferentMemberStates,whichrangesfrom80%ofelectricity
productioninFrancetozeroinDenmark,IrelandandLuxembourg,countries
thatarenotforthetimebeingcontemplating adoptingthissourceofenergy.
II.Theeconomicimpactofnuclearenergy
7.Forseveralyearsalready,electricity ofnuclearoriginhasbeen
competitivewiththatproducedfromothersources.Onthebasisof
presentlyforeseeable economicconditions, thechoicefor
futureinvestmentinlargepowerstationsishenceforthreducedtothe
alternative betweennuclearandcoal.Itisnolongerenvisaged,except
underveryspecialconditions andinaverylimitednumberofcases,to
buildlargeunitsfiredbynaturalgasorpetroleumproducts;the
contribution ofligniteandpeatcannotfortheirpartbeincreased
considerably .
(1)8.Estimatesmadein1981byaworkingpartysetupbyUNIPEDE haveconfirmed
theeconomicbenefitofnuclearenergytotheCommunity.TheCommission
hasbeenassociated withthisworkasitwasessential ,thatthe
objectivityofthemethodology usedcouldnotbeputinquestion.
TheresultswillbepublishedatthenextUNIPEDEcongress,tobeheld
inBrusselson6-14June1982.Theyhave,however,alreadybeenmade
availablewithintheCommission.Theyshowthat,dependingontheconditions
specifictoeachnationalorregionalsituation,electricity producedfrom
(2)coalis30-90%moreexpensivethanelectricity ofnuclearorigin.Asto
electricity producedfromoil,thiswouldbethreetofourtimesmore
expensivethanthatfromnuclearplant.
(1)InLernjitionalUnionofProducersandDistributors ofElectrical Energy.^Takingintoaccountallcosts,includingthoserelatingtowastedisposalandthe
eventualdismantling ofplant.

4
9.Inviewespeciallyofthehighinitialinvestment andresultantcost,the
lengthoftimenecessaryforconstruction playsacrucialroleindetermin­
ingthecostadvantageofnuclearpowerrelativetootherformsof
electricity production .
Ifdelaysinconstruction ofnuclearplantareparticularly longoruncertain,
andwhenoperatingconditionsforcoalplantarefavourable,costcomparisons
betweenelectricity fromnuclearpowerstationsandfromcoal-fired power
stationscouldshowanadvantageinfavourofcoal.ButintheCommunity
delaysofthisorderdonothaveaneconomic,technological orindustrial
originand,inaddition,thecostsofoperationofcoal-fired plantare
relatively highbecauseofgeological conditions .
10.Ingeneral,consumersintheCommunity whoaresuppliedwithelectricity
whichismainlyproducedfromnuclearenergywillbenefitinincreasing
numbersfrommoreandmoreadvantageous economicconditions .Thisis
particularly thecaseforenergy-intensive industrial users,sincetheprice
ofelectricity suppliedtothemismoreinfluenced byitscostofproduction
thanisthatofelectricity suppliedtosmallconsumers,forwhichlatter
thecostsoftransmission anddistribution arepredominant .Suchindustrial
userswilltherefore haveamarginofcompetitiveness overandabovethat
derivingfromtheirintrinsicproductivity ,*thiswillnecessarily entail
adverseeffectsinthoseMemberStateswhich,thoughenjoyingnocheap
sourcesofenergyoftheirown,abstainfromlaunching asuitablenuclear
programme .
11.Thepatternofproduction costsofelectricity ofnuclearorigin,whichis
characterised byhighinvestment costsbutalsobylowfuelcosts,implies
arelatively lowsensitivity initscosttoincreasesinthepriceoffuel,
andasaresultthereis,
-forfirms,thepossibility ofdevelopinginthelongrunagreaterself-
financingcapacitywherethecostbenefitisnotentirelyreflectedin
thesellingprice;
-forthecollectivity andwherethefuelhastobeimported,asmaller
balanceofpaymentsdeficitandagreateraddedvalueintheCommunity,
whichisfavourableforemployment .
Thesebenefitsmakeasignificant contribution totheattainment ofthemain
(1)objectives oftheCommunity'sfifthmedium-term economicprogramme
(1)C0M(81)344final,22.7.1981.

5
12.Nuclear energy ishelping toimprove theoverall technological balance of
the Communi ty.Asignificant nuclear power programme provides export
outlets notonly for thenuclear industry itself ,butalso forother
industries ,since therepercussions ofnuclear programmes are vast and
diversified .
II.Medium-term perspectives
13.Theproduction ofelectricity ofnuclear origin bymeans ofthermal reactors
hasnow reached industrial maturity ;this isinparticular the case for
production byreactors using low-enriched uranium ,onwhich current
programmes forthedevelopment ofnuclear energy intheCommunity aremainly
based .Thetechnologies and industrial capacities are already widely
available forimplementing such programmes ,including those which belong
totheessential stages ofthefuel cycle ,namely instages upstream of
(1)the reactor which embrace inparticular theproduction ,supply and
enrichment ofuranium .
14.Ifthe technical prospects for thedevelopment ofnuclear energy were
I limited tothat phase ,wewould befaced with theproblem oftheconditioning
| andstorage ,foranindefinite period ,ofirradiated fuel elements ,which
' would then have toberegarded ashighly-active wastes .Tofollow such a
i course would lead totwomain consequences :
a)the wastage ofvirtually all the energy potential ofthe uranium ;
b)particular problems ofinterfacing with theenvironment ,inview ofthe
fe.Cwthai theplutonium produced during irradiation would bedisposed
ofasawaste product ,together with the "nuclear ash"(fission products ).
The serious disadvantage residing inthe fact that Europe isbyitsnature
particularly vulnerable asregards energy would thus becompounded by
further problems connected with thedisposal ofradioactive waste . .
.Todeal with these disadvantages ,recourse toreprocessing ofirradiated ...
fuels isnecessary .Theobjective ofthis operation isto :
<1)Thefront endofthefuel cycle

6
a)extracttheplutonium asanenergysourceandtherefore pavetheway
foritsrecycling,inparticularinbreeder(orfastneutron)reactors,
theadvantagesofwhichintermsofthesecurityofsupplieshave
alreadybeenunderlinedinpoint3above;thefuelcycleisthus
closed;
b)separateoutthehighly-radioactive fissionproductsandcondition them
withaviewtofinalstorageinawaythatiscompatible withsafety
andenvironmental requirements .
16.Plutonium andtheoperations inwhichitcomesintoplay-inparticular
reprocessing ,thefabrication ofplutonium-containing fuelsandstorage-
(1)are,however,sensitivefromanon-proliferation policystandpoint
17.Thiswholeproblemwasstudiedindepthanddiscussedinthecontextof
theInternational NuclearFuelCycleEvaluation CINFCE)programme,avast
international exercisethatlastedmorethantwoyears(fromtheendof
1977tothebeginningof1980).
Theconclusion wasclear,particularly forthehighly-industrialised regions
oftheworldthatdependheavilyonimportsfprtheirenergysupplies :the
optionofdeveloping reprocessing ,andconsequently thebreederreactor,
mustbekeptopen.
InFebruary1980,theCouncilalreadytookthesameview,byadoptingtwo
(2)Resolutions concerning thesetwotopics
13.Clearly,suchapolicywouldbringaboutanincreaseintheflowof
sensitivematerials andindustrialcapacities .Inordertocopewiththis
situationandminimizetherisksitinvolves,twocoursesofactionare
possible.Thefirstconsistsinfallingbackonnationalarrangements,
N'J« • •
.ic:uy-enncned uraniumisalsoconsideredsensitiveinthisrespect.But
rr;-reareatpresentnoplanstoincreaseconsiderably theproduction and
111sationofthisspecialfissilematerial,whichisconfinedtoresearch
-actorsandpowerreactordesignswhoseindustrialdevelopment isstill
uncertain .
2)0JC51,29.2.1980,p.4.

7
inassertingthatitiseasiertosuperviseatthislevel;
thiswould,however,widenthegulfbetweenthosenationsthathave
adequatetechnological andindustrialpotential andthosethatdonot.The
secondcourseofactionconsists,ontheotherhand/inseekingsolutionsthrough
multinational cooperation,conceivedfirstonregionalbasesandthen
graduallyextendedtoabroaderscale:thiswouldenablethegulf
tobebridgedandavoidanyaccentuation oftensionswhichwouldresult
therefrom.
Thechoiceofthesecondcourseofactionisrecommended intheconclusions
totheINFCEproceedings asbeingthestrategywhichinthelongrunmost
reducestherisksinherentinthesensitive natureofcertainnuclear
activities andmaterials andwhichismostinlinewiththeobjectives of
theNon-Proliferation Treaty.
Themeasures recommended areofbothaninstitutional andatechnical
natureandrelatebothtonon-proliferationandtonuclearsuppliesaspects,
inviewoftheinterdependence betweenthelatter.Thisiswhythe
Community anditsMemberStatesareplayinganactivepartinthework
conductedundertheauspicesoftheInternational AtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)
withaviewtosettingupanInternational PlutoniumStorage(IPS)system
and,throughtheCommittee onAssurances ofSupply(CAS),aimedatmakingthe
international systemforthesupplyofnuclearmaterials morestableand
reliable.
(1)19.InitsCommunication totheCouncilontheresultsofINFCE,the
Commission alreadystateditsopiniononthematter,declaring amongother
thingsthat"theCommunity mustcertainlyfollowcloselywhateveractionmay
betakenontheresultsofINFCE,sincethisexercisehasshownthatthe
peacefuluseofnuclearenergyatworldlevelcaninthefuturebeenvisaged
onlyinthecontextofincreasedinternational cooperation bothintermsofinthewidesense
securingsupplies/andintermsofminimising therisksofproliferation ".
Sincethen,nothinghasledtheCommission tobelievethatthiscourseof
actionshouldbechanged,indeed,quitethecontrary.
IftheCommunityistobeabletoderivethemaximumbenefitfromstrength­
enedinternational cooperation ,collaboration mustbeincreasedatthelove!MemberStates
oftheCommunityandthe/bymakingfulluseofthepolitical,institutional ,
economicandtechnical framework wepossess.
C0M(80)316final,11.6.1980 .

8
Considerable progress hasbeen achieved already ;efforts inthis direction
must becontinued .
IV.The role ofthe national and Community authorities
20.Todraw upanuclear power programme requires along-term appraisal ofthe
development inthedemand forelectricity ,themain wayofusing nuclear
energy ,andofthetrends inthesupply ofprimary energy sources ,some of
which will compete with nuclear power .The implementation ofsuch a
programme ischaracterised bylong construction andamortization periods ;
any commitment istherefore ofalong-term nature .
European industry ,andmore generally European economic operators ,have
demonstrated that they have the capacity and resources necessary for such
apurpose .Nevertheless ,they cannot berequired tobear ,allalone ,the
unusual risks resulting from thenecessary scale ofcertain constructions ,
the length oflead times and the volume ofinvestments aswell asfrom
technological innovation and the international implications ofnuclear
energy .
21.This iswhytheimplementation ofnuclearpower programmes onanindustrial
scale requires ,inthefirst instance ,aclear political choice bythepublic
authorities regarding theobjectives tobesetand the resources tobe
brought into play .
Itisthen necessary tomaintain ,over aperiod oftime ,thecontinuity of
thepolicy adopted :otherwise ,efforts already made could bewasted ,
without their objectives being attained .
when they have made their option
Itisthetask ofthepublic authorities /tocreate apolitical ,economic
and legal climate capable ofreducing asmuch aspossible theuncertainties
associated with the implementation ofnuclear programmes .
Inthis area thepolitical responsibility oftheGovernments must betotal .
TheCommunity ,foritspart ,constitutes aframework inwhich they canfind
useful andrelevant points ofreference ,and aunit whose solidarity can
beauseful instrument .The roles oftheMember States and the Community
are therefore complementary .

9
22.ItistheCommunity 'stask inparticular tooffer Member States and
undertakings anoverall view oftheconditions forthedevelopment of
nuclear power andtopromote ,where itcould improve profitability and
efficiency ,thecoordination ,corvergence orpooling ofefforts .R&D isone
oftheareas receiving special attention inthis respect .
Inaddition ,asregards thesafety ofinstallations andradiation protection
although substantial responsibilities are inthehands of
thenational authorities ,theCommunity hastheduty toensure that an
equivalent and adequate level ofprotection isafforded toworkers and the
general public .
Lastly ,theCommunity offers specific guarantees ,thanks also tothesystem
ofsafeguards setupbytheEuratom Treaty ,regarding thesupply ofnuclear
fuels and the movement ofsuch materials within the common market .

B)PartTwo:Communityactiontotackletheproblems
Investigating theeconomicaspectsofthedevelopment ofnuclearpower
23.MemberStatesandindustrialenterprises have,withinthelimitsoftheir
respective competence,thepowertodecide onandimplementplant
construction programmes.Nevertheless,inpursuanceofArticle40ofthe
EuratomTreaty,whichprovidesfortheperiodicpublication of"illustrative
programmes",theCommission mayindicateorientations aimedatencouraging the
framingofnationalpoliciesandthesetting-up ofundertakings ,placing
thelatterinthecontextofabroaderstrategyimplying aconvergence of
effortsregardingboththecapacityoftheplanttobeinstalled andthe
timetables toberespected.Theseorientations mayalsohelptokeepthe
publicbetterinformedaboutthecontextandtheconditions surrounding
thedevelopment ofnuclearenergyandenabletheCommunitytomakean
increasingly significant contribution tostudiesoftheprospectsforthe
development ofnuclearenergyconductedincompetentinternational arenas.
24.Thefrequencyofpublication ofillustrative programmes hasbeen
inadequate-sofaronlytwohavebeenpublished.
Henceforth theCommission intendsregularlytopublishillustrative
programmes,thefirstonecomingoutin1983;thefrequencyof
publicationwillbeconsiderably increased.
25.Tothatend,theCommissionwillcarryoutdetailedstudies-tobeupdated
atregularintervals-onsubjectsessential tothenuclear
economy.Itwillenterintoappropriate consultations withallthesectors
concernedbythedevelopment ofnuclearenergy,andthusapproachthose
who,fromaneconomicandsocialstandpoint,playaspecificroleinthe
field;butitwillalsotalkwiththosewhowishtobe
heardinviewoftheirpositionwithregardtonuclearenergy.
Thesubjectscoveredinthiswaywillcomeamongothersunderthefollowing
generaltopics:

11
-thecostsofproducingelectricity
-theimpactofthedevelopment ofnuclearenergyonthemajoreconomic
equilibria (balanceofpayments;inflation;growth;employment;security
ofsupply;andscientific,technological andindustrialdevelopment);
-thestudyoftheprospectsfortheCommunity'snuclearindustry,including
thecomplexfactorsrelatingtotheopeningofmarkets;
-forecastsoftheinvestment requirements resultingfromnuclearpower
programmes (requirements forresearch,demonstration activities,
prospectingforrawmaterials,productionplants,storagefacilities,etc.)
andoffinancingrequirements .
26.Inordertohelpundertakings tosolvetheproblemsencountered infinancing
nuclearpowerstationsandfuelcycleinstallations ,theCommunityhas
devisedaspecialfinancialinstrument knownastheEuratomloan(orborrow­
ing)whichhasbeenoperatingsince1977andhassofaropenedlinesof
creditamountingtomorethan800millionECU.
TheCommissioninvitestheCounciltodecideasquicklyaspossibleon
theproposal(C0M(81)79Qof7December1981)ithasalreadytransmitted,
aimedatincreasing theceilingofthisfinancialinstrument from
1,000to2,000millionECU;
Ensuring aregularandequitablesupplyofnuclearfuels
Background
27.Beforerelyingonnuclearenergyforalargeshareoftheirenergysupplies,
theCommunity anditsMemberStatesmustbeassuredaboutthesupplyof
nuclearmaterials andabouttheirfreemovementthroughout
theCommunity.
Thisaspectisconnectedwiththetransparency ofenergyprices,which
constituted themainsubjectoftheCommission'srecentCommunication to
theCouncilentitled"Energypricing:policyandtransparency "
(C0M(81)539of30September1981),whichtheCouncilbegantoexaminein
detailon27October1981.

12
28.TheCommunity imports some 80% ofitsuranium requirements .
Proven andexploitable reserves ofuranium areconcentrated ina
relatively small number ofcountries .
Thesupply ofnuclear fuels isanarea inwhich public involvement is
considerable ;itisalso subjected tospecific constraints duetothe
nature ofthematerials inquestion .Such constraints contribute tothe
creation ofaclimate ofuncertainty asregards thesecurity ofsupply ,
especial lyinthelong terni ,andthus reduce industry 'smargin ofcommercial
manoeuvre .
Experience hasshown that theterms onwhich thesupplier countries are
prepared toprovide theCommunity with nuclear materials canundergo swift
and far-reaching changes .
These changes have hitherto been dictated principally byconsiderations
relating tothenon-proliferation policy ofthesupplier countries ;however ,
itispossible that changes might infuture occur forother reasons ,
whether political oreconomic .
TheCommunity has,since its incepti onymade great efforts toensure good
terms forexternal supplies ;but inthe last analysis itstill remains
subject toconsiderable risks inthis area . Itistherefore necessary to
continue the effort atCommunity level toavert and reduce these risks and
toensure that theCommunity 'snuclear industry hasaccess tosources of
supply onreasonable terms .
29.The import ofsufficient quantities ofuranium constitutes ,however ,
merely oneaspect ofthesatisfactory supply offuels fortheCommunity 's
nuclear reactors .Thenuclear fuel cycle iscomplex and involves alarge
number ofindustrial processes .
Only afewMember States are inaposition toinstall ,atnational level ,
industrial plant covering thewhole ofthenuclear fuel cycle .Inany
case , itwould behighly wasteful foreach Member State adopting nuclear
power tohave toequip itself with theentire industrial cycle for itsown
needs alone ;ifthis were done , theeconomic benefits deriving from
thenuclear option could besubstantially reduced oreven disappear .So
theMember States must besure that nuclear materials will move freely
within thecommon market ,provided that Community rules relating tosafe­
guards ,safety andpublic health arecomplied with .

13
TheroleoftheCommunity
AnaLysis_ofthe_suati_on
30.AprimarytaskassignedtotheCommunityunderArticle2oftheEuratom
Treatyistoensurethatallusersreceivearegularandequitablesupply
oforesandnuclearfuels.InChapterVIoftheTreaty(Articles52-75),
themodalitiesforaccomplishing thattaskarealsolaiddown.They
envisage,inparticular,theprincipleofequalaccesstosuppliesforall
usersandtheexercisebytheSupplyAgencyofanexclusiverighttounder­
takepurchases andhencesales.However,itwasrecognised fromthestart
that,sincethecivilnuclearindustrywasatastageofinitialand
experimental development,itmightbecomenecessarytoadaptthesemodalities
inthelightofexperience .Tothisend,provision wasclearlymadein
Article76,notonlythatChapterVIwouldbeconfirmedoramendedseven
yearsaftertheentryintoforceoftheTreaty,butalsothatamendments
couldbemadebymeansofaprocedure whichdoesnotinvolveratification
bytheMemberStates,namelyaunanimousdecisionoftheCouncilactingon
aproposalfromtheCommissionafterconsulting theEuropeanParliament .
31.Asaresultofthesupplysituation,andofthestructureofthenuclear
industrywithintheCommunity,certainpracticesdevelopedfromthestart
contrarytotheconceptoftheexclusivetradingrightconferred bythe
TreatyupontheSupplyAgency.Thisexclusiverighthasthusnotbeen
exercisedinallthecasesprovidedforintheTreatyand,whereithasbeen
exercised,ithasrarelybeendoneinamannerfullyinconformity withthe
systemlaiddowninChapterVI.Forthisreason,theCommission putforward
proposalsforamendments ontwooccasions,in1964and1970;inneitherof
thesecases,however,couldagreement bereachedbytheCouncil.InJune
1979,theCommission forwarded afurthercommunication totheCouncilwhich
wasintendedtogivenewimpetustothediscussion andwhichindicated,
withoutexpressing anypreference,thethreepossibleoptions:amendment,
confirmation orinterpretation ofChapterVI.Onemonthlater,theFrench
Government placedbeforetheCouncilamemorandumputtingforwardcertain
suggestions foramendments .Inordertoinquireintotherequestsmade
inthismemorandum,theCommissionsubsequently enteredintodetailed
discussions withexpertsfromtheMemberStates(seeparagraph34below).

14
32.Inspite ofthese difficulties ,the Community hasobtained very important
results ,over the last 20years ,inaccomplishing itstask inrespect of
supplies .Amongst more striking achievements figure theagreements
concluded with three oftheprincipal suppliers oftheCommunity ,that is
tosay,theUnited States ,Canada andAustralia .Under these agreements ,
theCommunity asawhole obtains from each ofthethree countries guarantees
ofcontinuity ofsupply which are much more comprehensive than those which
could have been obtained bythecountries oftheCommunity negotiating
individual ly.
33.Inaddition ,theCommunity hasbeen able tocreate ,within the Common Market ,
conditions for free movement ofnuclear materials ofwhatever origin .
Orientations
34.Inthe light oftheexperience acquired and ofthediscussions with experts
from theMember States ,theCommission hasmade anewassessment ofthe
,questions associated with supplying nuclear fuel tothe Community .Bearing
inmind developments inthepeaceful uses ofnuclear energy ,the Commission
considers itnecessary tovalorize further the role ofthe Community in
guaranteeing real security ofsupply toall those concerned while respecting
theprinciple ofnon-di scrimination „However ,theuncertain application of
Chapter VIreferred toabove hinders thepursuit ofthis essential objective .
Maintenance ofthepresent status quo can nolonger becontemplated ;nor
forthat matter ,pure and sirnple confirmation oftheoriginal provisions .
35„TheCommission has concluded that itispossible ,given mutual understanding
andgoodwill byall theparties concerned ,tosurmount former obstacles and
adopt asystem centred onthe following essential points :
-replacement oftheprinciple ofequal access tothe sources ofsupply by
theprinciple ofnon-discrimination :equal access isequitable inthat
itisaimed atapplying ,inrespect ofeach type ofactivity ,the same
conditions ofsupply (prices andothers )toallpurchasers ;but itgives
rise toproblems inthat ittends torestrain competition between suppliers
anddissuade purchasers from themselves taking measures toreinforce
their ownguarantees ofsupply .Non-discrimination means theabsence of
anydistinction between Community users asregards theuse they intend to
make ofsupplies requested forpeaceful andnon-explosive purposes ;in
other words ,Community users would have access tothesources ofsupply

15
onanequal footing inrespect oftheconditions ofproduction ,transfer ,
useandstorage ofthenuclear materials ;inaddition ,thereplacement
oftheprinciple ofequal access bythat ofnon-discrimination gives
assurance tothose concerned that they will beable tomake investments
which will then enable them tohave rights corresponding tothose of
others ;
-theEuratom Supply Agency would ,inparticular ,beresponsible for
verifying ,under thesupervision oftheCommission ,that transactions
were inaccordance with Community lawand Community obligations (in
particular ,non-discrimination );forevaluating supply anddemand ;and
forparticipating ,atthe request ofusers who sodesired ,inthe
negotiating and/orconcluding ofcontracts ;
-optimum utilisation ofCommunity powers with regard toexternal relations
inthenuclear field ;
-theprinciple ofCommunity solidarity would beapplied ,inparticular by
pursuing astock policy adapted tocircumstances and bythepreference
given toCommunity production inthe case ofasurplus ;
-thepossibility ofCommunity participation inprospecting operations would
beextended tonon-Community countries ;
-application ofrules ofcompetition analogous tothose inthe EECTreaty ,
adapted asnecessary .
The system which isbriefly described above does not require that the
exclusive right ofpurchase and sale conferred atpresent onthe Supply Agency
bemaintained .Itenables theCommunity toaccomplish the task assigned to
itunder Article 2(d )oftheEuratom Treaty .Furthermore itmaintains
thenecessary instrument fortheCommission toaccomplish itsobligations
while atthesame time permitting industry tocontinue toplay itsrole
within theframework ofpresent reality .
36.Intheview oftheCommission ,theprojected changes tothepresent provision
concerning supply could not beeffected with the requisite legal security
unless Chapter VIwere formally amended .
After newconsultations ,theCommission will ,before June 1982 ,place
before theCouncil aproposal containing aprecise definition ofthe
system sketched out above .
Theobligations foreseen inArticle 2(d)aresofundamental that any

16
systemmustallowthemtobefullyrespected.Thisbeingso,theCommission
will,ontheonehand,displaytherequisiteflexibility asregardsthe
modalitiesforaccomplishing thattaskwheretheobligations ofMemberStates
andindustrialenterprises inrelationtotheSupplyAgencyareconcerned.
Ontheotherhand,itwillnotfailtoevaluatecarefullytheimplications
thattheadoptionoftheproposedsystemmighthavefortheexerciseofall
rightsandresponsibilities laiddownintheTreaty.
Reprocessing ofirradiated nuclearfuel:situation andprospects
37.Thereprocessing sector,theimportance ofwhichhasalreadybeenstressed
inthefirstpartofthiscommunication ,givesgroundsforconcernwhichare
connectedwithobstaclesofvariouskindsthathinderthetimelyinstallation
ofcapacitiesforthereprocessing ofuranium-oxide fuel.
TheMemberStateswhichhavenotyettakenupindustrial-scale reprocessing
arefacedwithtwoproblems :
-aproblemoftheoptimumsizeofinstallations fromthetechnical and
economicstandpoint inordertobeabletocopewiththeirownrequire­
ments,and
-aproblemofaccessunderacceptable conditions tocapacitiesinstalled
inotherStates.
TheCommunity framework canfacilitatetheirsearchforsolutionsthatare
difficulttofindsatisfactorily atnationallevel.
Inthelightoftheseconsiderations ,theCommission requeststheCouncilto
holdadiscussion onthebestsolutionstobeappliedtotheproblemsof
reprocessing .Tofacilitate thediscussion,theCommissionisforwarding to
theCouncil,togetherwiththiscommunication ,thereportpreparedfor
itbytheCommitteefortheReprocessing ofNuclearFuel(CORECOM)set
upbytheCouncilinFebruary1980,accompanied bycommentsanda
recommendation adoptedbytheCommission
andaddressedtotheGovernments oftheMemberStates,thecompetent
nationalauthorities,promotersandusers.Thisrecommendation essentially
concernstheestablishment ofreprocessing companiesinwhichtheinterests
ofseveralMemberStateswouldberepresented .

17
Uraniumprospecting
38.Asregardsuraniumprospecting intheterritories oftheMemberStates:
TheCommissionwillforwardtotheCouncilwithinthenextfewmonths
areportonalltheactivitiesithasconductedinthisfieldfrom
1976to1981pursuanttoArticles70and71oftheEuratomTreaty,
atthesametimeindicating theobjectives offutureactivities .
III•ProvidingsafeguardsfornuclearmaterialswithintheCommunity andhelpingto
strengthen theconsensusrequiredforaworld-wide safeguards system
39.The contribution ofnuclearenergytotheoverallenergy
equilibrium wasconditioned fromthestartbytheputtingintoplaceof
appropriate safeguards guaranteeing thatnuclearmaterials wouldnotbe
usedformilitarypurposes.Moreover,theimportance ofthephysical
protection ofnuclearmaterials andinstallations hasmorerecentlybeen
recognised .
AO.Inthefieldofsafeguards,theEuropeanCommunityplayedtheroleofworld
pioneerbysettingup,in1958,pursuanttotheEuratomTreaty,asystemof
safeguards,whichhasproveditselfandwhichhasbeenrecognised
internationally ,andnotablybytheUSAandCanada,
41.Sincethen,theCommunityanditsMemberStateshavecontributed unremittingly
toworkaimedat"multilateralising ",spreadingthroughout theworld
andoptimising safeguardsinthefieldofpeacefuluses
ofnuclearenergy.
ItisinthiswaythatEuratomcontributes onapermanentbasistothe
properoperation andtechnicalimprovement ofasafeguards systemona
world-widescalewhichishighlycrediblebutdoesnotinvolveunjustifiable
financialburdensbeingbornebytheindustrialenterprises concerned.
Itsufficesheretomention:
-theconclusions ofthreeverification
MemberStatesandtheIAEA;agreements betweenEuratom,the

18
-cooperation between the IAEA andEuratom concerning R&D inthe field of
safeguards onthebasis oflarge-scale Community programmes inthat
sector ;
-thesigning bytheCommunity ,along with itsMember States ,ofthe
International Convention onthe Physical Protection ofNuclear Materials ;
(1)-theparticipation ofthe Community and itsMember States inthe INFCE
andthework which ,under theresponsibility ofthe IAEA ,isperformed as
afollow-up tothis far-reaching survey (inparticular ,studies ona
plan forinternational plutonium storage (IPS)and thework ofthe
Committee onAssurances ofSupply (CAS )).
42.TheCommunity ,which has the task ofestablishing the conditions necessary
forthe rapid creation andgrowth ofnuclear industries ,hasbeen accorded
powers tofulfil this task ,particularly inthe fields ofsafeguards and
supply (theformer conditioning the latter toavery large extent ,asstated
above ).
Theday-to-dayexercise ofitsduties inthese twoareas provides the
Community with abody ofknowledge^!?experience -inter alia inthefield -
and acorpus oflegislation andprocedures ,andconsequently acredit ,which
enable ittoplay animportant role ininternational organisations such as
theIAEA ,which exercise responsibilities atworld level inthenuclear field
Foritspart ,theCommission ,inclose liaison with theMember States ,will
continue tomake itscontribution tothe fulfilment ofthe tasks assigned
tothat world Agency ,whose effectiveness itesteems andwhose credibility
must bemaintained .
A3.Atregional level ,theEuratom safeguards system meets ,ontheonehand ,
theCommunity 'sownrequirements (Article 77(a ):conformity ofuse,and
Article 77(b ):particular safeguarding obligations under agreements
concluded with third States orinternational organisations )and onthe
other hand ,isresponsible ,incooperation with the IAEA ,fortheobservance
ofNPTobligations inaccordance with theprocedures laid down inthethree
verification agreements concluded between Euratom ,its
(2)various Member States and the IAEA
International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation .
Forthepurposes ofimplementing these Agreements ,theprocedures forapplying t
Euratom safeguards were adapted bymeans ofanewRegulation (N°352? /7o)whicn
hasbeen inforce since 1January 1977 .

19
44.TheEuratomsafeguards,asdistinctfromtheIAEAsafeguards,arealso
intendedtoensureobservance ofcommitments undertaken bytheCommunity
inrespectofthirdStates,inparticular threemajorsuppliersof
materials andservicestotheCommunity :theUnitedStates,Canadaand
'Australia .Bythusofferingtosuppliercountriestheguaranteethat,
withintheCommunity,useisbeingmadeoftheirnuclearmaterialsin
accordance withtheconditions thattheyrequest,Euratomsafeguards create
aconditionessentialtothefreemovementofthematerialswithinthe
Community.
45.Thepresenceoftwosafeguardsystemswithcomplementary activities,the
jointexistenceofacivilcycleandamilitarycycleinthenuclear-weapons
MemberStatesand,lastly,thecommitments enteredintobythoseStatesnot
totakeindustrialoreconomicadvantageoftheirspecialstatus^gives rise
toacomplexsituation.Onthewhole,theformulasadoptedintheafore­
mentionedRegulation arenotdisputed.Nonetheless,certainmodalities
ofapplication willhavetobeimprovedinthelightofexperience .The
Commission intendstodealwiththismatterinconsultation withtheMember
States,whi1strespectingthe obligations tothirdStatesundertaken bythe
CommunityanditsMemberStatesinthisregard,itsobjectivebeingto
facilitate theapplication ofthesafeguards intheyearstocome.
Inthelatterhalfoftheyear,theCommissionwillplacebeforethe
Councilafullreportontheimplementation ofthethreeverification
agreements betweenEuratom,itsvariousMemberStatesandtheIAEA.

IV.Contributing totheprotectionofthehealthandsafetyofthepublicand
workersandtoenvironmental protection
46.Thesafetyofinstallations andtheprotectionofthehealthofthepublic
andworkersconstitute acondition"sinequanon"forthedevelopment of
thepeacefulusesofnuclearenergy.Theseaspectshavebeenacentral
concernofthepublicauthorities andthepublicandprivatenuclearoperators
sincethatdevelopment began,,
47.Furthermore,theprincipleofpubliccontrolofallactivities,whetheror
nottheyareconductedforthepurposeofenergyproduction,hasbeen
assertedwithparticularrigour,and,inthepublicadministrations them­
selves,therehasgenerallybeenadesiretodistinguishresponsibility for
promotionactivities,ontheonehand,fromthatinrespectoflicensing
ontheother.ForthesamereasontheCommissionadherestothedistinction
betweenpromotionalaspectsofnuclearenergyandsafetyaspects.Itis
atpresentcarryingoutaninternalreviewofallitsactivitiesinthe
nuclearsafetyfieldtoevaluatethescopeofitsactioninthecontextof
thedevelopment whichtheapplication ofnuclearenergyhasreached.
Followingthisreview,acommunication onnuclearsafetywillbesenttothe
CounciI.
48.Theeffortsundertaken uptonowinthisareaintheCommunityandelse­
wherehavecertainlyproducedpositiveresults,asareshownbytheaccident
/*\statistics .Theseshowthatthelevelofsafetyinnuclearinstallations
iscertainlynotlessfavourablethanthatachievedinotherbranchesof
industry.
49.Asinanyhumanactivityitcertainlycannotberuledoutthatan
installation mightsufferorcauseamoreseriousaccidentthanthose
whichhaveoccurredsofar,safetymustremainanessentialpreoccupation ,
incloserelationship withthegrowingdevelopment andtherapidevolution
ofnucleartechnology.Inillustration ofthis,almostallthecurrent
Communityresearchprogrammesareconcernedwithsafety.
Inparticular,over200powerreactorshavebeenfunctioningformorethan
10yearswithoutanyfatalirradiationaccidents.

21
-Asregardsreactorsafet//specialLarge-scale installations areused
incombination withtheoretical researchtostudy,forestall andcontrol
anyaccidentsthatmightoccurinlight-water orfast-breeder reactors.
Evaluation ofthelevelofconfidence tobeappliedtopowerstation
components /,improvements tooperational qualityandsafetyandharmon-
(1)isationofcriteria,codesandstandardsarebeingcontinuedin
parallel.
-Asregardsradiological protection,workonbroadening knowledgeofthe
variouseffectsofionisingradiation onmanisbeingcontinuedinrespect
ofbothshort-termeffectsandgeneticeffects;simultaneously ,studies
arebeingconducted ontheenvironmental pathwaystakenbyradioactive
elementsandonradiationdosimetry methodsandinstruments .
ι
Thisprogrammerepresents theCommunity'scontribution tothecontinual
improvement ofthe"basicstandardsfortheprotection ofthehealthof
workersandthegeneralpublicagainstthedangersarisingfromionising
radiations".Thesestandards,originally laiddownintheformofa
(2)Directivein1959,havealreadybeenrevisedfourtimes<1962,1966,
1976and1980)^.TheyformtheprincipalinstrumentatCommunitylevel
ofhealthandsafetypolicy(ChapterIIIoftheEuratomTreaty).
Inthiscontext,itshouldbepointedoutthattheCommission hasrecently
adoptedarevisionofthe1960recommendation concerning plansforreleases
ofradioactive effluents fromnuclearinstallations (Article37of"the
EuratomTreaty).
50.Whathasbeensaidabouttheimportance ofnuclearsafetyinrelationtothe
orientation ofR&Dprogrammesisespecially trueforquestionsrelatedto
radioactive waste,oftenconsidered tobethemostsensitive duetothe
specialnatureofthewasteproducts.
TheCommission'sR&Dprogramme onthemanagement andstorageof
radioactive wasteisalong-termactivitywhichistobecontinued and
expandedaspartofthetwelve-year (1980-1992)Communityplanofaction.
Theseinstruments represent acoordinated effortaimedatfindingthe
requisitesolutionsforallthesequestionsingoodtime.
C)SeeCouncilResolutionof22.7.1975onthetechnological problemsofnuclear
msafety(0JN°C185of14.8.1975).
!::0JN°11of20.2.1959.
N°L246of17,9.1980.

-22-
Inparticular ,theCommission will intensify itsefforts inthis context
with aview toensuring consultation andcooperation between theMember
States instudies onunits forpermanent storage and inestablishing such
units .Moreover ,thework conducted within theCommunity must take due
account ofthat carried outelsewhere .The Commission has already concluded
acooperation agreement with AECL (Atomic Energy ofCanada Limited )andhas
recently forwarded tothe Council aCommunication concerning asimilar
1
agreement tobeconcluded with the USDoE (United States Department ofEnergy ).
The Commission intends todevelop such contacts with other non-Community
countries where they will facilitate the attainment ofthe Community 's
objectives .
51.Radioactive waste isproduced throughout thenuclear cycle andpossesses
characteristics that vary widely (physico-chemical forms ,radioactivity
and lifetime ,quantities produced ).
Certain categories ofwaste (mainly oflow-andmedium-level activity )
have been produced for several decades :the technology necessary for
their management has long since attained the stage ofindustrial
maturity ;itisnonetheless advisable tomodify theexisting conditioning
processes andthe storage anddisposal practices inorder tocope with
the increasing volumes ofwaste produced (atpresent several tens of
thousands ofcubic metres per year forthe Community asawhole ).
Theaccumulation ofirradiated fuel discharged from reactors gives
rise toother questions ;the fuel contains uranium ,plutonium and
"nuclear ashes ".
Thechemical operation ofreprocessing makes itpossible toseparate
theuranium ,and theplutonium ofthe "nuclear ashes "which last are long-lived ,
high-level activity waste *They are inliquid form and are stored in
steel tanks specially designed forthat purpose and set upinthe
vicinity ofthe reprocessing plants .
This waste isthen converted into solid form andincorporated in
suitable matrices ,such asglass orceramics . These processes
areeither being developed orhave already reached industrial maturity
and arebeing commercially applied ,such astheAVMvitrification
process developed inFrance .
C0M(81)818 final of14.1.1982 .
2.Experience has shown that this type ofstorage isextremely satisfactory
over periods ofseveral decades .

23
(1)Theproducts thus treated represent only asmall volume andcanbe
stored fordecades oreven longer before their final disposal becomes
necessary ^2*;thisprovides aconsiderable degree offlexibility inthe
planning ofastrategy forthelong-term management ofsuch waste .
Alternatively , thepolicy adopted may benot toreprocess the fuel
immediately ,but tostore itinpurpose-designed installations for
several decades .Beyond that point ,itisadvisable toreprocess the
irradiated fuelortoconsider itasalong-lived ,high-level activity
waste that should besuitably conditioned anddisposed ofdefinitively .
The latter solution ,however ,involves aserious disadvantage inthe
energy field andgives rise toadditional technological problems (see
also para .14ofthis Communication ).
Oftheoptions that canbeconsidered forthe final disposal oflong-lived ,
high-level activity waste andwhich ensure that such waste isadequately
contained away from thebiosphere ,burial inunderground caverns prepared
forthat purpose ingeological formations possessing thecharacteristics
necessary toguarantee stability andcontainment (salt ,granite and
clay )seems atpresent tobethat most likely toprovide asolution
totheproblem ofdisposal onthetimescale envisaged .Priority must be
aiven tothe continuation ofthis essential research .
(1)7hevolume ofconditioned waste produced annually per unit of1000-MWe
power isabout three cubic metres .
>)
Itshould benoted that these products donot require cooling during
■-.tortirje .Seebelow onthequestion offinal disposal .

24
V.Providing continuity forR&Dwork andensuring that itsresults areput
tothe best possible use
152.Initsrecent Communication totheCouncil onresearch ,theCommission
gave prominence totheextent ofCommunity accomplishments and theneed
todefine anoverall strategy based onmaking thebest possible useof
these results andonutilizing theadvantages presented bytheCommunity
dimension ,such astrategy tobecapable ofresponding tothegreat
socio-economic challenges ofthepresent time .
Inthefield ofenergy and itsvarious sources ,theCommission stressed
inrespect ofnuclear fission that theR&Dprogrammes inprogress ,which
aremainly concentrated onreactor safety ,radioactive waste management
andstorage ,radiological protection andthe safeguarding offissile
materials ,represent ajoint response totheproblems that arise at
Community level . (See also paragraph 49above ).
53.Theresearch activity conducted under theCommunity programmes inthe
fields mentioned above atpresent involves anexpenditure oftheorder
of130million ECUper year .Insectors such asthat ofreactor safety
and radioactive waste management andstorage ,about 25% ofthe total
amount ofresearch inall theMember States isdirectly orindirectly
covered bythejoint programmes .Inother sectors such asradiological
protection ,theproportion amounts to80% .Finally ,where safeguards
onfissile materials areconcerned ,thecontribution ofEuratom amounts
to50% ofall the research work carried out inthis field .
Scientific andtechnical research andtheEuropean Community ,C0M(81)574
of12October 1981 .

-25-
ItistheCommission'sintentiontoconsolidate researchonthese
prioritytopics,andmostparticularly onthatofradioactive waste,
inordertoensurethatthepeacefulusesofnuclearenergyremain
compatibleatalltimeswithrequirements inrespectofsafety,
healthprotection,theenvironment andsafeguards .
54.Specialattentionwillhavetobepaidtothedissemination ofthe
informationobtainedandtomakingthebestpossibleuseofthe
results.
Theeffectiveness ofthepresentsystemofdisseminating the
information acquiredundertheCommunity'sprogrammeswillbe
criticallyevaluated.
TheusetowhichtheresultsoftheR&Dprogrammesareputwill
facilitatesubsequentindustrialapplication throughdemonstration
operationsthatwillalsobeeligibleforCommunityfinancing.To
becomplete,suchutilization oftheresultswillhavetobe
accompanied bytheestablishment ofnorms,codesandstandardsasthe
needforthemarises.
VI.Contributing toprovidingfullandreliableinformation forthepublic
onquestionsregardingnuclearenergy
55.Thepublicraisesquestionsaboutnuclearenergy.
Whilethereisgeneralagreementthatthepublicmustbebetter
informed,thebasicquestioninthisareaisstillthatofdiscovering
howthisshouldbeachieved.
56.Theeffortsmadesofarmustbecontinued,intensified oreven
reorientated inordertofindsolutionstowhatincreasingly appears
tobemoreaproblemofcommunication thanoneofinformation,since
itnotonlyinvolvesprovidingthepublicwithinformation,butalso,
andmoreimportantly,establishing asystemofliaisontohelpthe
publicassimilate suchinformation moreeasily.
./...

-26-
Theprincipalroleinthisregardfallstothegovernmental and
regionalauthorities andtotheelectricity producers byreason
oftheirpublicserviceresponsibilities .
TheCommission can,however,makeausefulcontribution tothis
actioninrespectoftwopoints:firstofall,it
willprovideregularinformation ondevelopments inthe
Community'soverallenergysituation andthereasonsforwhich
acontribution fromthenuclearindustryisessentialinorder
tocopewithourfutureenergyrequirements ,aswellasonthe
resultsofitsaction,inparticular,inthenuclearsafetyfield.
Inthiscontext,theregularpublication oftheillustrative
programmereferredtoinpara.24abovewillbeparticularly
usefulandeffective .
Secondly,theCommission
willfollowdevelopments inpublicopinionatCommunitylevel
bycarryingoutregularsurveys
asitdoesinthecontextofEurobarometer .
Thesesurveysshouldcontribute toenlightening publicopinion
itself,thesectorsconcerned andthenationalandCommunity
authorities inrespectofthisimportantparameterofthe
Community'senergypolicy.

C)CONCLUSIONS
TheCommission requests theCouncil ,onthebasis ofthis communi cation ,
tohold apolitical discussion indepth ontheprospects fortheuseof
nuclear energy intheCommunity .
Ithopes that theCouncil will concur with theCommission 'sanalysis (see
paras .1to22above )ofthecontext inwhich nuclear energy should be
considered . Ithopes ,furthermore ,that the Council will approve the
broad lines oftheapproach envisaged bythe Commission with regard tothe
Community 'srole inthis field .Theessential points ofthis approach
are asfollows ;
(a)more frequent publication bythe Commission ofillustrative programmes
with aview tohelping theunderstanding oftheeconomic basis of
nuclear development ;
(b)adoubling ofthe ceiling onEuratom loans ;
(c)anewapproach bytheCommunity toquestions relating tosupplies of
nuclear materials ,resulting inparticular inaredefinition ofthe
system applicable inthis regard ;
(d)aspeeding-up ofthemeasures tobetaken within theCommunity with
regard tothe installation ofinterim storage capacities and
reprocessing capacities for irradiated fuel ,combining efforts
wherever possible ;
(e)arapid solution tocertain problems that still exist ,following the
conclusion ofmajor international agreements ,inthemodality of
application ofEuratom safeguards within theMember States ;
(f)aconsolidation andintensification oftheactivities ,already
considerable ,which are conducted bythe Community inthe field of
research anddevelopment innuclear safety and inparticular the
extension ofjoint efforts inthe field ofradioactive waste management
and storage ;
<g)areinforcement oftheCommunity 'scontribution tothecampaign to
inform public opinion onquestions concerning nuclear energy .