TNAG-1497-FCO40-2055-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 110

GRS 700

CONFIDENTIAL

FM UKREP BRUSSELS

TO DESKBY 28080OZ FCO

TELNO 1795

OF 271835Z MAY 86

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113

INFO PRIORITY BRUSSELS, COPENHAGEN, THE HAGUE, ROME, DUBLIN, PARIS

INFO PRIORITY BONN, LUXEMBOURG, ATHENS, LISBON, MADRID

INFO ROUTINE EAST EUROPEAN POSTS, UKMIS VIENNA

FRAME GENERAL

COREPER (AMBASSADORS) : 27 MAY.

CHERNOBYL.

M.I.P.T.

WICK 166,

//

RECEIVED Nu mal

28 MAY 1986

DESK OFFIC. S

1. WE ARE NOW FACED NOT ONLY WITH A FURTHER SESSION OF COREPER.. TOMORROW BUT ALSO WITH THE THREAT OF AN EMERGENCY COUNCIL MEETING ON FRIDAY. ALTHOUGH IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT THE DUTCH ARE BLUFFING OVER THE LATTER, I DO NOT THINK THEY ARE. THEY WERE SHARPLY CRITICISED FOR THEIR HANDLING OF THE EARLIER STAGES OF CHERNOBYL: THEY HAVE MORE OR LESS GOT TEN MEMBER STATES ON BOARD THE PRESIDENCY COMPROMISE AND THEY ARE THEREFORE MOST UNLIKELY TO LET THE ISSUE SIMPLY FIZZLE OUT AT COREPER.

2. WE CERTAINLY DO NOT LACK FOR GOOD ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT THE FIGURES ON WHICH WE ARE INSISTING AND THE REPORT OF THE EXPERT MEETING IN LUXEMBOURG ON 23 MAY IS A MAJOR BUTTRESS TO THEM, FOR ALL THE CAVELLING OF THOSE WHO DO NOT LIKE ITS CONCLUSIONS. BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT OUR POSITION WILL BE ENTIRELY COMFORTABLE IN THE EVENT OF A DISAGREEMENT FIRST AT COREPER AND THEN AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL, AND THE TAKING OF A MULTIPLICITY OF DIFFERENT NATIONAL MEASURES, FOLLOWING THE LAPSING OF THE BAN ON IMPORTS FROM EASTERN EUROPE ON 31 MAY. WE SHALL PRESUMABLY BE SOMEWHAT INHIBITED FROM RUBBISHING THE POSITION OF OTHER MEMBER STATES AND OF THE COMMISSION BY THE POSSIBLE CRITICISM THAT WE WILL PROVOKE AT HOME FOR TAKING TOO RELAXED A VIEW OF THE RISKS. ASSUMING THAT MOST OTHER MEMBER STATES APPLY NATIONAL MEASURES AT MUCH LOWER FIGURES THAN US THERE IS BOUND TO BE CRITICISM IN PARLIAMENT.

3. BUT THE ASPECT TO WHICH I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE GREATER WEIGHT IS THE IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR TRADE. FIRST THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT, IF WE APPLY MORE RELAXED STANDARDS THAN OTHER COMMUNITY COUNTRIES, THERE WILL BE A DIVERSION OF EAST EUROPEAN EXPORTS TOWARDS THE UK AND AWAY FROM THOSE MEMBER STATES APPLYING STRICTER STANDARDS. BUT, PERHAPS MORE WORRYING, ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE POSITIONS TAKEN BY SEVERAL MEMBER STATES (IN PARTICULAR ITALY AND SPAIN) THAT THEY WILL APPLY VERY LOW FIGURES INDEED TO EAST EUROPEAN IMPORTS AND THAT THEY WILL FEEL OBLIGED TO APPLY THESE FIGURES ON A NON-DISCRIMINATORY BASIS TO IMPORTS FROM OTHER MEMBER STATES (AND,

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