EU to open negotiations with India on nuclear energy

Negotiations on a cooperation agreement between Euratom (European Atomic Energy Community) and India for research and training.

The European Union Council adopted a decision in Brussels on Monday, September 14, authorising the European Commission to open negotiations on a cooperation agreement between Euratom (European Atomic Energy Community) and India for research and training.

This is a further step in the EU-India cooperation in the field of the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The brief statement was made following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. The Council represents the 27 governments of the EU, while the Commission is the executive body of the Union.

The EU council decision follows the Joint Action plan (JAP), signed by the EU and India in September 2008, to enhance co-operation in the framework of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Agreement and through the conclusion of a bilateral agreement between Euratom and India in the field of fusion energy research.

The EU-India energy panel was set up at the fifth EU-India Summit in 2004. This panel aims to work as a formal instrument of EU-India cooperation in the energy sector. The first meeting of this panel was held in June 2005, followed by meetings in April 2006, June 2007 and September 2008. There are four working groups that work to facilitate the EU-India partnership - Renewable energy/Energy efficiency, Coal/Clean coal technology, Fusion/ITER/Nuclear energy, and Petroleum/Natural Gas.

Source: German Information Centre New Delhi