Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 30 Apr 1997

Vol. 478 No. 5

Written Answers. - Nuclear Energy.

Ivor Callely

Question:

36 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the use of nuclear energy for weapons purposes should be within the scope of EURATOM; and the consideration, if any, he has given this matter. [11512/97]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

At present, EURATOM is obliged to make certain by appropriate supervision that nuclear materials are not diverted to purposes other than those for which they are intended, although materials and facilities intended for military purposes are excluded from the scope of EURATOM.

As non-nuclear weapon states party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), thirteen of the fifteen EU member states have made a binding legal commitment to forego the nuclear weapons option. For the purpose of verifying the fulfilment of that commitment, these member states and EURATOM acting in concert have accepted IAEA safeguards designed to prevent the diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to use as nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. As nuclear weapon states party to the NPT, France and the UK have made a binding legal commitment not to transfer nuclear weapons to any state whatsoever and not in any way to assist any non-nuclear weapon state to acquire nuclear weapons. These states, in conjunction with EURATOM, have entered into agreements with the IAEA in relation to the inspection of non-military nuclear materials. These fundamental commitments have the effect of preventing an evolution of EURATOM which might involve the promotion of nuclear energy for weapons purposes.

It might be asked whether EURATOM's competance should be extended so as to bring further within its scope the prevention of the use of nuclear energy for weapons purposes. Any move in this direction will require the agreement of all member states. Preventing the diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to use as nuclear weapons is theraison d'être of the international non-proliferation regime founded on the NPT. NPT members include all five declared nuclear weapon states, as well as 181 non-nuclear weapon states. Its near-universality — only five countries in the world still remain outside the NPT — means that the NPT, complemented by IAEA safeguards and by nuclear-related export controls, is the instrument of choice for preventing the use of nuclear energy for weapons purposes. EURATOM, on the other hand, was not founded as a non-proliferation organization. The EURATOM Treaty contains no specific mention of non-proliferation, but one of its tasks is to ensure that nuclear materials are not used for a purpose other than that for which they are intended. EURATOM functions today as a regional organisation with the objective not only of promoting peaceful nuclear co-operation among member states but also of facilitating member states' fulfilment of their non-proliferation obligations, within the limits of its legal competence in the matter. However, as non-proliferation issues are essentially matters of national rather than community competance, they are properly considered mainly within the framework of the common foreign and security policy of the Union.