WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2016/98 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. Highly enriched uranium supplies for the Munich research reactor (FRM II)
Date: 1998-06-30
Institutions: BREYER, European Parliament
Subjects: ECSC Treaty, Germany, International Atomic Energy Agency, Russia, United States, cooperation agreement (EU), cooperation policy, framework agreement, nuclear reactor, uranium

C 96/24

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.4.1999

enter into agreements to cofinance communication schemes with the Commission to explain the Amsterdam
Treaty to European citizens.

(1) OJ C 164, 29.5.1998.

(1999/C 96/032)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2016/98

by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission

(30 June 1998)

Subject: Highly enriched uranium supplies for the Munich research reactor (FRM II)

Unfortunately, some parts of Written Question E-1113/98 (1) have not been answered at all and the Commission
is asked to answer the following outstanding questions:

1.

Is it correct that the highly enriched uranium (HEU) is intended solely for use in the FRM-II and its further
movement within Germany or within the EU is not permitted?

2. On what grounds does the EU accept prior consent rights for Russia for highly enriched uranium when the

USA was not granted such rights?

3. What is the situation of the talks (formal or informal) between the EU and Russia on their own nuclear

framework agreement?

4. Did the Council give a mandate for official negotiations on such an agreement? If so, when and what did the

mandate cover?

5. What consequences would the conclusion of a framework agreement between the EU and the Russian
Government have on the effectiveness of the bilateral German-Russian Agreement? Would Russia keep its
prior consent rights regarding the use and further movement of the 1,2 tonnes of HEU for the FRM-II?

(1) OJ C 354, 19.11.1998, p. 65.

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 1998)

1.
The highly enriched uranium (HEU) is foreseen exclusively for Munich research reactor (FRM) II.
However, the manufacture into fuel elements may take place in France or in the United Kingdom. HEU supplies
are very specialised transactions and their programme of transformation and use in the Community is therefore
limited in practice.

In this context the Honourable Member is referred to the ministerial common policy declaration adopted by the
ministers for foreign affairs of the Euratom Community on 20 November 1984 (published as International atomic
energy agency (IAEA) document INFCIRC/322). The agreement between Germany and the Russian Federation
has to be consistent with that declaration, including its provisions on use of the materials concerned. Moreover, as
already indicated in answer to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s Written Question E-1113/98, the Commission has
concluded that the agreement does not contain clauses which impede, in practice, the application of the Euratom
Treaty. This includes the requirement for free movement of nuclear material within the Community.

The nuclear cooperation agreement between Euratom and the United States also provides for cooperation in
2.
the area of plutonium and HEU (Annex A to the agreement). This cooperation is also facility specific. There is
therefore a general consistency in the approach of the cooperation which indicates in which installations in the
Community transformations take place.

3. to 5.
Informal explanatory discussions on a general framework nuclear agreement are taking place and the
Commission has made no proposal to the Council. The consequences of any such agreement cannot be foreseen
until the agreement is finalised.