Reply to the 4th Annual Report of the European Nuclear Energy
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 22nd September 1962 (13th Sitting) (see Docs. 1474Docs. 1474, 4th Annual Report of ENEA, and 1492, Report of the Economic Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 22nd September 1962 (13th Sitting).
1. The Assembly thanks the Council of OECD for the transmission of the 4th Report on the activities of the European Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA).
2. The Assembly welcomes the collaboration established between ENEA and Euratom, and is of the opinion that this co-operation should be further developed and reinforced.
3. The Assembly welcomes the continuing progress in the setting up of the joint undertakings and looks forward to the early coming into operation of the Eurochemic plant. It hopes, moreover, that agreements on the prolongation of the Halden and Dragon projects will soon be reached so as to enable the co-operating countries to gain more valuable knowledge from such joint projects.
4. The Assembly also welcomes the proposals by the Group of "Top Level Nuclear Experts" for the setting up of a number of international Study Groups to examine further co-operation, in particular, in scientific and technical fields of nuclear research.
5. The Assembly is gratified to learn the progress in the work of the Study Group set up in 1960 to investigate the possibilities of applying nuclear ship propulsion. It remains convinced that European co-operation in this field is most valuable. It hopes that the constitution of a joint undertaking to construct and operate such a vessel will soon be realised. It believes that special attention should be given to the study of safety problems in reactor operation in ships, especially in relation to possible radioactive contamination of the sea.
6. The Assembly welcomes the realisation by the Council of OEEC (in July 1961) of a European system for the supervision of environmental radioactivity and emergency warning in cases of abnormal increase. The Assembly, greatly interested in the problems relating to the transport of highly radioactive material across Europe, wishes to be kept informed of the progress made by ENEA, together with other specialised organisations, in preparing international rules for the transport of such material.
7. The Assembly resolves, through action in national Parliaments, to urge member Governments to speed up the ratification of the OECD Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy so that it can enter into force at an early date. Furthermore, it hopes that all European member States of OECD will reach early agreement upon a definitive text for the draft Supplementary Convention being negotiated by member States of Euratom, with the participation of other Members of OECD, designed to increase considerably the level of compensation in respect of nuclear incidents by means of financial assistance from public funds.
