TNAG-1506-FCO40-2064-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 130

RESTRICTED

68381

1

BACKGROUND

4.

THE SPECIAL SESSION, ATTENDED BY ENERGY MINISTERS FROM

SOME 60 COUNTRIES, SAW THE ADOPTION OF CONVENTIONS ON EARLY

NOTIFICATION AND MUTUAL ASSISTANCE. THE FORMER WILL ENTER

INTO FORCE ON 27 OCTOBER. IT WOULD BE TRIGGERED IN THE EVENT

OF AN ACCIDENT WHICH RESULTS IN AN INTERNATIONAL TRANSBOUNDARY

RELEASE THAT COULD BE OF RADIOLOGICAL SAFETY SIGNIFICANCE FOR

ANOTHER STATE. STATES ARE OBLIGED PROMPTLY TO NOTIFY AND

PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION TO AFFECTED NEIGHBOURS THROUGH

THE IAEA. THE ASSISTANCE CONVENTION ESTABLISHES A PRACTICAL

AND FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROVISION OF INTERNATIONAL

ASSISTANCE TO A STATE REQUESTING HELP IN THE EVENT OF A NUCLEAR

ACCIDENT ON ITS TERRITORY. THE UK SIGNED SUBJECT TO RATIFICATION

AND DECLARED THEIR PROVISIONAL ENTRY INTO FORCE FOR THE UK.

THE FIVE NUCLEAR WEAPON STATES AGREED TO NOTIFY MILITARY

NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS AS WELL AS THOSE AT CIVIL INSTALLATIONS.

THE FIRST FRUIT OF THIS WAS THE SOVIET NOTIFICATION TO THE IAEA

(AND TO THE AMERICANS) ON 4 OCTOBER OF A NUCLEAR SUBMARINE

ACCIDENT IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC.

5.

MEMBER STATES ALSO AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO A SIGNIFICANT

EXPANSION OF THE IAEA'S ROLE IN THE NUCLEAR SAFETY FIELD BUT

LEFT THE DETAILS TO SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION IN THE BOARD OF

GOVERNORS. THE SOVIET BLOC AND A MAJORITY OF THIRD WORLD

COUNTRIES, INCLUDING ALL THOSE WITH SUBSTANTIAL NUCLEAR PROGRAMMES, RE-AFFIRMED THEIR COMMITMENT TO NUCLEAR POWER.

(WEST EUROPEANS WERE, HOWEVER, DEEPLY DIVIDED BETWEEN PRO- AND

ANTI- NUCLEAR COUNTRIES: WITH SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN

APPROACH BETWEEN THE NUCLEAR POWERS). WHILE FRANCE AND THE

UK REMAIN FIRM IN THEIR COMMITMENT TO NUCLEAR POWER, ITALY'S

COMMITMENT IS LESS CERTAIN. THE FRG, ALTHOUGH DETERMINED

TO PURSUE THE NUCLEAR PROGRAMME, FACES PARTICULAR NATIONAL

DIFFICULTIES, AND THESE PRE-OCCUPATIONS WERE REFLECTED

IN GERMAN PARTICIPATION.

3

RESTRICTED