Brussels, 17/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission adopted its communication on energy cooperation in developing countries (see yesterday's bulletin, p.6). The communication mainly stresses the importance of EU technology transfer relating to clean coal, renewable energies, nuclear safety, equipment and apparatus aimed at energy efficiency.
The Commission mainly insists that clean coal technologies, developed by the EU, should be widely introduced in developing countries. As far as nuclear energy is concerned, it considers that the EU must provide: (1) technical assistance necessary for these countries to set in place a regulatory and institutional framework allowing them to manage nuclear energy in full safety, and ensure the control of nuclear products and the management of waste; and (2) access to modern and safe nuclear technology. Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer and Luxembourg Green member Claude Turmes regretted the importance given to nuclear energy in this communication. They would also have liked a greater place to be given to renewable energies. On this point, the Commission indicates in its document that the high cost of renewable energies explains why the share of such energy in these countries will remain limited.
Patricia Lorenz, anti-nuclear activist of Friends of the Earth Europe, strongly attacked the Commission's communication saying "this is absolutely unacceptable" as "contrary to what the Commission communication is implying, nuclear safety can never be guaranteed and the risk of proliferation of nuclear material for bomb use by terrorists and state actors is growing." Furthermore, "the EU already made clear that nuclear energy is not part of a sustainable development when the EU heads of state and government at the 2001 Gothenburg Summit did not accept the EU Commission's proposal to include nuclear power it the EU Sustainable Development Strategy", she said. She concluded by calling on EU15 Environment Ministers to take the opportunity of their informal meeting in Sondenborg (19-21 July) to "make clear that the Commission's push to spread nuclear power is not the EU's intention and does not have support of the Member States".