Europe needs all of us to build its future.

NUCLEAR POWER:
the need for a new political impetus in Europe

The four European lunch-debates on nuclear energy : Partnerships and topics
Foreword by Claude Fischer and André Ferron : “For a new political impetus from the EU”
Synthesis of the debates:
1 - Ensuring that the financial crisis does not create an obstacle to Europe’s new enthusiasm for nuclear power
2 - Global nuclear industry: the EU and USA faced with the Great Russian Initiative
3 - Between hyperactive leadership and patient conviction, there is another option a “Nuclear Schengen”
The main proposals from the lunches
Participants list
Presentations of organizers

Option 28 GB

More information on the Lunch-debates
Version française

Director of publication: Claude Fischer

Design and realisation: C.A.G., Paris

Printing: SIPÉ, Grigny

Extracts :

With the series of lunches on the future of nuclear energy in Europe, GPlus Europe and Confrontations Europe aimed to pursue and develop a dialogue between players in the nuclear sector, major consumers, and European institutions.
The four lunches brought together 95 participants (see the list on page 30) that engaged a productive debate, moderated by Claude Fischer of Confrontations Europe, and Philippe Lemaitre and Michael Tscherny of GPlus Europe, on the future of nuclear energy in Europe in light of its global revival. Russian and American players were welcomed to reflect on the development of cooperation with each other and, globally, with other major world regions.
The summary – divided into three chapters – was suggested by André Ferron, Researcher at Confrontations Europe, based on the minutes produced by Hervé Fischer, Director of ASCPE-Les Entretiens Européens.
More information of the lunch-debates

February 11th 2009 – The Future of Nuclear Energy
With Dominique RISTORI, Deputy Director General at the European Commission’s directorate general for transport and energy (DG TREN);
Jacques TOUBON, Member of the European Parliament (EPP, Fr).

February 19th 2009 – The Economic and Ecological Effect of the Nuclear Renaissance
With Daniel CLOQUET, Director of Industrial Affairs, BUSINESSEUROPE;
Jean COADOU, Project Manager, DG TREN, European Commission;
Paul RORIVE, Corporate Director of Nuclear Activities, GDF SUEZ and Chairman of FORATOM.

March 18th 2009 – Nuclear Energy and International Cooperation: the Role of the European Union in the Global Nuclear Revival
With Alexey GRIGORIEV Executive Director for Business Development and Analysis, JSC TVEL (subsidiary of Atomenergoprom);
Michael KIRST, Regional Vice-President, Eastern and Central Europe, Westinghouse;
Jussi VIHANTA, Team Leader of the EURATOM Coordination and international relations Section, DG TREN, European Commission; Jaroslav ZAJICEK, Head of Internal Market Section, Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union.

April 16th 2009 – Prospects for a Nuclear Revival in Europe. What are the new initiatives from the European Union?
With Fanny BAZILE, Director of Prospects at the Commission for Atomic Energy (CEA);
Karl BERGMAN, Vice-President for Nuclear Business, Vattenfall group;
Ana PALACIO, AREVA Senior Vice President, International & Marketing;
Matthias RUETE, Director-General, DG TREN, European Commission.

Thanks to Marie-Ange Schilling, ASCPE-Les Entretiens européens and to Cécile Vernant, GPlus Europe, for the good organisation of the lunches and to Marie-Ange for illustrating the Option.

F o r e w o r d

The idea was to clarify positions on the need (or not) for a new political impetus to promote nuclear energy within the European Union and make the EU the world leader in safe, sustainable nuclear industrial policy, through informal, “off the record” discussion. At a time when nuclear energy is enjoying a revival in so many countries, should the European Union not become a key actor in ensuring the world’s safety? This role cannot be left to the operators, or even to individual states. The Single Market requires regulation and we must contribute to comprehensive regulation on a global scale – but our primary responsibility is European.

Our lunch-debate concept was both useful and productive: the 95 participants discussed their opinions without holding back on many issues: the future of nuclear power, its economic and ecological effects, its social acceptability, the safety and management of waste, international cooperation and non-proliferation, our relations with Russia, the initiatives taken by the European Commission, and more. As these pages make clear, nobody, not even corporate managers, attempted narrow lobbying for nuclear energy. All those present gave serious thought to the best conditions for the industry’s revival, took their responsibilities seriously [...]

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