The promises of nuclear energy, the challenge of proliferation. Europe benefits from nuclear energy

The first part of this paper is a speech by the United States Ambassador, Craig Stapleton, during the symposium of the Association nationale des auditeurs jeunes (ANAJ) held at the Institute for Higher National Defence Studies in Paris (IHEDN) on 15 February 2006, entitled The French Nuclear Model, the Civil and Military Issues, at which he presented his government point of view on nuclear energy and non-proliferation. The second part deals with the energy crisis. The global energy crisis is an opportunity for nuclear power, as we can no longer contend that renewable energy is an adequate alternative. It is a real force for the European Union, seeing that nuclear energy provides nearly a third of its electricity production. Nuclear power is on the point of being further boosted throughout Europe. Areva has several solutions to offer EPR (European Pressurised Reactor) for example. (authors)