|
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
|
|
|
Statement of the Forum on Nuclear EnergyTagged under Steering Committee STATEMENT ON NUCLEAR ENERGY
November 30, 2012 Stockholm, Sweden
Taking into account: the catastrophic consequences of the nuclear accidents at the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants; the tendency of increasing costs for nuclear power plant construction, operation and decommission, as well as the rising costs of nuclear waste management; the lack remaining risk of a large accident, even of modern nuclear reactors; the fact that no satisfactory solution exists for radioactive waste produced by nuclear power programmes; the tendency of a declining share of nuclear energy in the world energy mix. Respecting the decision of the European Union not to have a common policy on nuclear energy; Respecting the decisions of the national referenda in Austria, Italy and Lithuania to abolish nuclear energy; Respecting the decisions of the German, Belgian and Swiss Governments on a nuclear phase out; Respecting the choice of Luxembourg, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Latvia and Estonia not to pursue nuclear power; Respecting the position of the International Atomic Energy Agency not to give any guarantees for nuclear power installation safety. We, the delegates of the 4th Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum: EXPRESS OUR DEEP CONCERN with new nuclear reactor construction in EU countries (Finland, France, Slovakia), as well as in EaP countries (Ukraine, Belarus) and in Russia, a neighbor both for the EU and EaP countries, as well as plans for new nuclear reactor construction in the UK, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. FIND INAPPROPRIATE the insufficient level or even absence of proper consultations with civil society and neighbouring countries in the planning for the construction of new nuclear facilities. STATE OUR CONFIDENCE that priority has to be given to the safe, economically feasible and publicly acceptable means of ensuring energy security. SHARE OUR PRECAUCION that nuclear accidents anywhere in Europe will have consequences everywhere in Europe. CALL UPON the governments of Finland, France, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia to cancel new nuclear reactors construction, and on the governments of the UK, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria and Turkey to step away from their nuclear plans, and to revise their policy towards the development of clean and safe forms of energy. CALL UPON all the governments to follow the provisions of the UN ECE Convention on Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (the Espoo Convention and Kiev Protocol) and the UN ECE Convention On Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Decision Making (the Aarhus Convention) regarding all nuclear projects.
|
Project funded by the European Union
