Reply to the 11th report on the activities of the European Nuclear Energy Agency
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 23 April 1970 (9th Sitting) (see Doc. 2739, report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development). Text adopted by the Assembly on 23 April 1970 (9th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Thanking the Council of OECD for transmitting the 11th report on the activities of the European Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA) ;
2. Aware both of the success of the Dragon Joint Nuclear Reactor Project and of the fact that early commercial adoption of high temperature gas-cooled reactors of the Dragon type still requires the acquisition of further experimental knowledge, approves the recent decision to prolong the Project for a further three years until March 1973 ;
3. Equally aware of the useful contribution made by the Halden Joint Reactor Project as a test-bed, enabling Members to carry out practical experiments in establishing the comparative performances of different forms of fuel elements and assemblies for various types of water reactor, welcomes the fact that there has been a three-year extension of the Project until December 1972 ;
4. Noting that the operation and the industrial research programme of the Eurochemic Plant over the years 1970 -74 is now estimated to produce an excess of expenditure over receipts of some 3.5 million US dollars per year, considers that, whilst this expenditure may now be justified, Members of ENEA should exchange information about their present reprocessing capacity and plans for its development,
5. Expresses the hope that ENEA will now examine the overall problem of radioactive waste disposal in the conditions of Western Europe, bearing in mind the need to avoid unnecessary pollution of the environment ;
6. Takes note of the fact that progress in the field of competitive nuclear electric power generation has been less rapid than it was envisaged a number of years ago, but believes that, although no nuclear power station in operation or at present under construction in Western Europe is likely to be competitive with the latest and most efficient conventional power station operating on untaxed fuel oil at about current prices, encouragement for continued construction of nuclear power stations is nevertheless justified because of the needs of the future.
