From mosa@netcom.com Sat Oct 7 12:53:58 1995 From: mosa@netcom.com (Michele Lord) To: dave@sgi From: rich@pencil.math.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel) Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive Subject: Greenpeace Asks EU To Sue France For Euratom Treaty Violation Followup-To: alt.activism.d Date: 7 Oct 1995 01:50:44 GMT Organization: PACH Lines: 91 Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: pencil.math.missouri.edu Resent-From: rich Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu /** headlines: 128.0 **/ ** Topic: Greenpeace Asks EU To Sue France For Euratom Treaty Violation ** ** Written 9:28 PM Oct 4, 1995 by econet in cdp:headlines ** /* Written 6:15 PM Oct 4, 1995 by web:greenbas in gp.press */ /* ---------- "10/04 GP Asks EU to Sue France" ---------- */ ************************ GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE ************************ GREENPEACE ASKS EU COMMISSION TO SUE FRANCE FOR VIOLATING EURATOM TREATY Greenpeace continues Brussels vigil as European faxes come in BRUSSELS, 4 October, 1995 (GP) Greenpeace today said France's testing of nuclear weapons in French Polynesia is being conducted in clear breach of obligations under Articles 34, 35 and 192 of the Euratom Treaty. If the European Commission fails to take legal action against France, the Commission itself will also be in breach of its obligations under the Treaty. Defying the Commission's request to suspend further tests until a Commission assessment of the health and safety measures of the testing programme had been completed, France went ahead with a second, 110 kiloton nuclear test at its South Pacific test site on Monday. Performing 'particularly dangerous experiments', such as the testing of nuclear weapons, without obtaining the Commission's prior opinion on additional health and safety measures, breaches Articles 34 and 192 of the Treaty [1]. In breach of Articles 35 and 192 of EURATOM, the European Commission's verification mission was denied full access to Moruroa atoll and no access at all was granted for Fangataufa atoll [2]. At its meeting today it is essential that the Commission decides to sue France to ensure its compliance with EURATOM obligations. Any failure by the Commission to proceed with formal action would be based on purely political grounds which is entirely inappropriate given its role as guardian of the Treaties. During the protest outside the Commission headquarters in Brussels yesterday a mobile office received protest faxes for delivery to the Commission. The faxes will be displayed on a 'bomb' opposite the Commission's headquarters. For further information contact: Louise Gale and Simon Carroll, Greenpeace European Unit, +32 2 280 14 00 or mobile phone +32 75 43 3003, or Fransc* Verdeuzeldonk +31 6 531 06593. The fax number where protest letters for the Commission may be sent are +32 2 280 1874 or +32 2 230 8413. Pictures of Greenpeace's action yesterday are available from Photo News in Brussels: + 32 2 660 2082. NOTES A more detailed briefing document is available on request. [1] Article 192 of the EURATOM Treaty requires Member States to take all appropriate measures to ensure fulfilment of the obligations arising out of the Treaty. Further, it requires Member States to abstain from any measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the objectives of the Treaty. Article 2 of the EURATOM Treaty includes the objective to establish uniform safety standards and to protect the health of workers and of the general public and to ensure that they are applied. [2] In urgent circumstances, the Commission is empowered under Article 38 of the EURATOM Treaty to immediately issue a directive requiring a Member State to take all necessary measures to prevent further infringements of basic standards concerning radioactivity levels. ** End of text from cdp:headlines ** *************************************************************************** This material came from PeaceNet, a non-profit progressive networking service. For more information, send a message to peacenet-info@igc.apc.org ***************************************************************************