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market-based mechanisms, CDM and JI. Some of the 27 MEPs who signed were UK Socialist Terry Wynn, UK Conservative Geoffrey van Orden, Spanish Conservative Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Slovenian Conservative Romana Jordan Cizelj, German Conservative Herbert Reul and Finnish Conservative Eija-Riitta Korhola. market-based mechanisms, CDM and JI. Some of the 27 MEPs In fact, it secured over 50 MEP signatures during a two-day who signed were UK Socialist Terry Wynn, UK Conservative visit to Strasbourg for the Parliament's October Plenary Session— Geoffrey van Orden, Spanish Conservative Alejo Vidal-Quadras, with the lobbying support of some Brussels-based nuclear Slovenian Conservative Romana Jordan Cizelj, German representatives." Conservative Herbert Reul and Finnish Conservative Eija-Riitta Those signatures allowed Spanish conservative MEP Alejo Korhola. Vidal-Quadras to table a new amendment without the anti-nuclear reference. When asked about the fact that it was FORATOM FORATOM: A history of MEP collaboration which collected the signatures, Vidal-Quadras replied: "It is The co-operation between FORATOM and pro-nuclear MEPs easier for us to have the helping hand of the lobby presenting the has proved very successful in the past. issue to give us feedback on the multiple For example, in November 2005 meetings they have with other MEPs if FORATOM scored a major victory by they agree to co-sign the amendments. convincing sufficient MEPs to reject It is usually the assistants of MEPs an amendment during a vote in the EP. The co-operation between who try to collect the signatures of the The amendment stated that "reducing MEPs who wish to co-sign the global emissions must not lead to FORATOM and pro-nuclear amendments but they always other threats" and that "CDM/JI...must appreciate if someone can give them a continue to exclude nuclear activities". MEPs has proved very hand at it—considering that the This amendment had already been successful in the past. deadlines we deal with are extremely approved by the Environmental tight." Committee.* According to ENS: "Getting the 32 According to the European Nuclear MEP signatures was the easy part of Society's November 2005 "ENS the process... The more difficult part, News" (ENS shares its Secretariat with however, is getting a majority of the FORATOM), FORATOM's Secretariat had at the time been 732 MEPs to support the amendment during the vote." Yet, the "working to remove the anti-nuclear reference".’ The report goes nuclear lobby set to work again, reporting at the time that: on to explain the two ways in which FORATOM could win: "FORATOM's Secretariat will continue to urge MEPs to support "Lobby for a political party to put forward an amendment deleting this amendment by, for example, urging them to speak to their the third sentence ‘reiterates its opinion that CDM/JI or similar colleagues, right up until the vote takes place in November. The credits must continue to exclude nuclear activities" or "Lobby for Secretariat will also help organize meetings with key MEPs to at least 32 MEPS—tegardless of their political affiliation—to co- discuss the matter further. Whatever the outcome, everything sign an amendment deleting the third sentence". FORATOM possible will have been done to get the amendment accepted."’ decided to go for the second option, as "the compromise Their efforts certainly bore fruit, and Vidal-Quadras's amendment was supported by the EPP-ED (European amendment was passed by the plenary on 16 November 2005.* Conservative Group)—at least according to their voting list". The The nuclear industry with its allies in the EP can use two ENS report stated: "Over the past two weeks, FORATOM's institutionalised channels for its work: an MEP business club Secretariat successfully obtained the 32 MEP signatures needed to called the European Energy Forum (EEF), and a cross-party group table an amendment at the upcoming November 2006 Plenary known as the Forum for the Future of Nuclear Energy (FFNE). Session. Business members of EEF include Shell, Total, ExxonMobil and nuclear energy giants British Energy, THE NUCLEAR LOBBY IN BRUSSELS EDF and Areva. A confidential source FORATOM is the main lobby group for the nuclear industry in Europe. It | Who regularly attends its meetings claims to "act as the voice of the industry in energy policy discussions involving | Confirmed that discussions which start at the EU institutions".2° Apart from 17 national nuclear associations, | the EEF usually end up at the Parliament. FORATOM's members include 800 firms, among them major nuclear interests | He went on to describe the EEF as "the such as the French EDF and Areva, the British BNFL and British Energy, the | Submarine of the energy industry". The German RWE and E.ON, the Belgian Electrabel and the Spanish Endesa. EEF's director-general, Jean-Claude In Brussels, it is located in the same street as the Commission and the Council | Charrault, is the former head of the of Ministers (rue de la Loi), a stone's throw from the European Parliament. | Commission's nuclear policy division. FORATOM shares its Secretariat with the European Nuclear Society (ENS, a | Most of the EEF's funding comes from federation of 26 nuclear organisations). FORATOM's director-general Santiago | business. When asked by Corporate San Antonio is also secretary-general of ENS. FORATOM and ENS each has | Europe Observatory (CEO) about its three accredited lobbyists to the European Parliament.” funding, the Secretariat refused to answer; In total, FORATOM has over 20 people working at its Brussels headquarters. but according to an informed source, its Their work is supported by the activities of individual nuclear companies. | annual budget is over a million euros. Between them, EDF, Areva, TVO, Siemens, E.ON, RWE, Vattenfall, BNFL and EEF's work is mainly around events at the CEZ have 22 accredited lobbyists at the European Parliament. This does not | invitation of business. Apart from dinners, include consultants and PR and PA firms likely to be working on a contract | conferences and seminars, the forum often basis for the nuclear industry to advance its interests. organises all-paid-for (by the organising Currently, the lack of mandatory lobbying disclosure makes it impossible to | ¢Ompanies) trips for interested MEPs to know how much money is invested by the nuclear industry in its lobbying | visit nuclear power plants.’ A regular of effort aimed at EU institutions. those trips is British Conservative MEP Giles Chichester. The co-operation between FORATOM and | pro- “nuclear aaPR ee MEPs has proved very successful in the past. 12 = NEXUS www.nexusmagazine.com FEBRUARY — MARCH 2007