News on Nukes

EU Enlargement-Perspectives for a Nuclear-Free Future?

European Conference, Vienna, Austria, September 25-27.

With the goal of nuclear phase-out in Central European countries that will join the EU, a conference is being organised for NGOs that participate in anti-nuclear and energy policy work as well as for some representatives from governments, EU institutions, etc.

There will be a forum for discussions between experts from the EU, GOs, and NGOs. The last day is reserved for internal discussions among Citizens' Organisations (ECOs) about future cooperation and strategy development. The conference will focus on financial and political implications of nuclear energy.
It is the hope that the conference will lead to increased co-ordination between anti-nuclear NGOs in western Europe and in the EU accession countries, as well as to strengthening of ECO networks.

Participation is only possible with prior registration. The conference is being organised by Global 2000, Greenpeace, and Anti Atom International.

Info: att.: Oliver Butz, GLOBAL 2000,
Flurschuetzstrasse 13, A-1120 Vienna.
Tel.: +43-1-812 57 30-41
Fax.: +43-1-812 57 28
E-mail: global2000@t0.or.at

Antinuclear Actions

This summer has seen a number of actions against nuclear power plants in Europe. Probably one of the largest was a demonstration in Copenhagen on July 1, when more than 3,000 people met to express their anger at the continued operation of the Swedish nuclear power plant in Barsebäck, only 22 km away. The demonstration was organised by The Danish Energy Movement OOA.

A smaller, but remarkable, action was a protest against the Kola Nuclear Power Plant on the Kola Peninsula in NW Russia. 150 activists from 6 countries organised an action camp and a peaceful demonstration in front of the nuclear power plant administration buildings. The activists asked for closing of the power plant, while construction of new nuclear reactors are planned. The camp was organised by ECODE-FENSE, Gaia Apatity, and other Russian organisations.

Information: ecodefense@glas.apc.org, http://cci.glasnet.ru/antinuclear.html

Western Loans for New Nukes in Ukraine?

The discussion of completing the two nuclear power reactors in Khmelnitsky (K2) and Rivne (R4) in Ukraine is entering a new stage with a public phase of the environmental impact assessment. This assessment is a part of the EBRD's (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's) procedure to approve loan to the plants. If the EBRD gives funding to these plants, it will be the first time that a multilateral development bank has given loans to new nuclear development in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The assessment is open to organisations in potentially affected countries, which, in this case, is all of Europe. It is important to involve as many organisations as possible.

So contact: Bank Watch Network CEE,
Energy Coordinator Petr.hlobil@ecn.cz and http://www.geo.ut.ee/bankwatch.

Multilateral Energy Investments in CEE: Time for Change

Bank Watch Network for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has analysed the energy investments of multilateral development banks in 16 CEE countries. They find that the investments are far from supporting sustainable development. More than half of the 5,400 mill US$ invested in energy projects has gone to oil and gas development as well as to coal-fired power plants. The World Bank has not transformed the progressive parts of its energy policy into practice, while the European Investment Bank does not even have an energy policy and has not financed a single project supporting demand-side energy efficiency. These banks rarely invest in renewable energy except for large hydro. They do not assess the C0₂-emission effects of their activities. They leave environmental impact assessments (EIAs) to project promoters that seldom involve the local population sufficiently and, in a number of cases, have not fulfilled the EIA procedures of the banks. On the positive side stands the energy efficiency unit of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Since the start of the unit in 1994, EBRD has increased its lending for energy efficiency from very little to a major part of its energy lending.

Bankwatch is proposing a number of improvements in the banks' policies and in management, e.g., the formation of special units for energy efficiency and renewable energy in all the banks, more open processes for development of energy policies, more involvement of local partners in projects, and screening of all projects for energy-efficiency potential.

Further info: Bankwatch Network CEE.