European Atomic Energy Community

The European Atomic Energy Community ( EAEC or Euratom today ) was founded on 25 March 1957 by the Treaty of Rome of France, Italy, the Benelux States and the Federal Republic of Germany and is today almost unchanged. She is an independent international organization alongside the European Union, however, tells her all organs.

From 1965 to November 30, 2009, she was next to the leaked by July 23, 2002 European Coal and Steel Community and, also founded by the Rome Treaties European Economic Community (later the European Union) one of the European Communities. With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009, the European Community went on in the European Union. This left after the expiry of the military alliance WEU 2010, only the Euratom exist as an independent organization and so-called European Community, however, is completely attached in their structures to the EU.

Euratom Treaty ( Overview )

The Euratom Treaty ( as amended by the Lisbon Treaty) is divided into the preamble and seven titles, followed by five appendices and six protocols:

  • Preamble
  • Title I: Duties of the Community (Article 1-3 )
  • Title II: the encouragement of progress in the field of nuclear energy (Article 4-106 )
  • Title III: Provisions governing the Institutions and Financial Regulation (Article 106 to 170 )
  • Title IV: Specific financial provisions ( Articles 171 to 183a )
  • Title V: General provisions (Articles 184-223 )
  • Title VI: Final provisions (Articles 224-225 )
  • Appendix I: Field of research concerning nuclear energy in accordance with Article 4 of the Treaty
  • Annex II: industries, to which reference is made ​​in Article 41 of the Treaty
  • Appendix III: Advantages granted to the joint venture in accordance with Article 48 of the Treaty,
  • Annex IV: List of goods and products subject to the provisions of Chapter 9 on the common market in the nuclear field
  • Annex V: Initial research and training program in accordance with Article 215 of the Treaty ( repealed)
  • Protocol on the role of national parliaments in the European Union
  • Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union
  • Protocol on the location of the seats of the institutions and of certain bodies, offices, agencies and departments of the European Union
  • Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union
  • Protocol on Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution of Ireland
  • Protocol on the transitional provisions

In contrast to 2002, which expired ECSC Treaty, the duration of the Euratom Treaty is unlimited. In addition, the Euratom Treaty subject - as opposed to the treaties of the ECSC and the E ( E) C - over time the lack of substantial changes in content. In general, the adjustments were limited to track changes in the other contracts accordingly. Which came into force in 2009, the Treaty of Lisbon, was dissolved by the EC and combined with the EU, the Euratom Treaty hardly changed, leaving the Euratom continue to exist as a supranational organization in addition to the EU. Because of the far-reaching energy policy competences of the EU itself has, however, now lost much of its importance.

Objective

The goal is formulated in Article 1: " the task of the Community is to contribute through the creation of the necessary for the speedy establishment and growth of nuclear industries requirements for standard of living in the Member States and the development of relations with the other countries. "

The individual chapters of the Euratom Treaty ( Euratom Treaty ) deal, inter alia, the promotion of research in the nuclear field, the dissemination of knowledge, public health, investments, joint ventures, Community supply of ores, source materials and special fissile materials (by the Euratom Supply Agency ), to monitor the safety and to the ownership of special fissile materials, the common market in the nuclear field and the external relations (contracts of Euratom and third countries ). Chapter 3 deals with the measures to safeguard the health of the population. In Article 35 facilities for continuous monitoring of soil, air and water are required for radioactivity. In all Member States, the appropriate monitoring networks installed that send their collected data into the central database of the EU ( EURDEP ) (see also ODL monitoring network ). Furthermore, Article 37, each Member State is required to submit certain information regarding the release of radioactive materials, such as new construction or dismantling of nuclear power plants, the European Commission. Only when the European Commission published its opinion to start may be made to the project.

Organs

The Euratom had until 1967 a special commission and its own advice. The agreement to merge on April 8, 1965 she was united with the organs of the other two communities. The Parliamentary Assembly (now Parliament) and the Court were from the beginning shared facilities. There were three Commission Presidents:

Vice President from 1962 to 1967 was Enrico Medi. First German representative in the Euratom Commission from 1958 until February 1964 Heinz Krekeler.

The relevant today EU institutions on matters of Euratom are:

  • In the European Commission, the Commissioner for Energy and the subordinate to him Directorate General for Energy,
  • In the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy,
  • Of the EU Council, the Council of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy.

Euratom Framework Programmes

The EU funding, which are set in the budget in order to achieve the above objects may be aggregated and published in Framework Programmes. The current seventh Euratom framework program comprises measures in the field of research, technological development, international cooperation, dissemination and exploitation as well as training. Since 1957, this funding has remained the same in their purpose mainly. For the first program ( 1958 to 1962 ), 215 million units of account ( = dollar ) were used. The contribution of the Federal Republic of Germany met with DM 290 million, 30 % of the total.

On February 6, 1973 another Framework Programme of the Research Ministers of the States concerned to 1977 in the amount of 200 million units of account (RE) was (converted DM 732 million ) to fund the research of the 1,440 employees at the institutes in Geel (Belgium ), Karlsruhe ( Germany ), Ispra (Italy) and Petten (Netherlands) to continue.

Current Framework Programme

The current framework program is divided into two programs:

  • Fusion energy research: to develop the knowledge base for the project ITER and ITER as the major step for the creation of prototype reactors for safe, sustainable, environmentally responsible, and economically viable.
  • Nuclear fission and radiation protection: to promote the safe use of nuclear fission and the uses of ionizing radiation in industry and medicine.

For the implementation of the Seventh Framework Programme for the period 2007-2011 were, according to the EU Commission funds in the amount of EUR 3092 million. These obligations are in EUR 2 159 million for fusion research, EUR 394 million for nuclear fission and radiation protection and EUR 539 million for actions of the Joint Research Centre in the nuclear field. With a renewal of the current research on nuclear safety and radiation protection in the Euratom Framework Programme can be expected, as the European Commission on 7 March 2011 a proposal to extend the funding for the years 2012/2013 adopted.

Fusion research

In the field of fusion energy research, the EFDA Treaty ( European Fusion Development Agreement ) was signed for the implementation of the research activities within the legal framework of Euratom in 1999. The goal of EFDA is to provide the necessary scientific and technical basis in the European research and industry for the construction and operation of ITER.

Temporal classification

Criticism

Opponents of nuclear power see the Euratom Treaty basis of the purpose, the promotion of nuclear energy, as out of date and demand its revision or withdrawal of Germany.

Whether without an exit from the European Union to the exit from the Euratom Treaty would be possible is debatable under international and constitutional law experts. While an isolated opinion come to the conclusion that a unilateral withdrawal from Euratom due to Article 56 of the Vienna Convention is possible to keep others the legally or technically impossible or at least extremely difficult and consider an overdue revision of the treaty necessary.

In a petition dated February 2011 to the German Bundestag an exit Germany from the Euratom Treaty was required, since these nuclear energy 'll privileged. The Petitions Committee rejected the petition from a year later and it turned out positive aspects of the Euratom Treaty. In addition, the Bundestag rejected in November 2012 with the majority coalition requests on the part of the SPD and the Greens to a change of the Euratom Treaty or to a withdrawal of Germany from.

Pierre Chatenet Heinrich Ludwig Hermann Krekeler Merger Treaty Enlargement of the European Union Treaty of Accession 2003
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