[en] Short communication

[en] This study provides an overview of current legislation governing the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in Central and Eastern European countries and the New Independent States. Revised to include information obtained since its original publication in October 1995, the current issue focuses on the institutional and legal frameworks which have been established in the countries under consideration. The competent nuclear authorities, the legislation in force, draft legislation and regulations, international conventions and membership in nuclear organisations of each country in the region are presented. (K.A.)

[en] Answers are given by the chairman of the World Association of Nuclear Operators, Lord Marshall, to questions about the recently formed Users Group for Soviet-Designed Reactors which the Association sponsors. The questions covered the following areas: the response of Western companies to the Users Group; the kinds of projects the Group will be proposing, and the improvements to Soviet designed reactors they would like to see; the issue of liability; the role of the Group alongside other organisations in improving the safety of Soviet designed reactors; the recent report of the International RBMK Safety Consortium; the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency with respect to Soviet designed reactors. (UK)

[en] West European gas companies have long recognised the potential for lucrative business within eastern Europe. But they recognise that the region's integration into the west European system will be far from straightforward, with deals between east European gas companies and their western counterparts invariably containing financial mechanisms, such as barter trade, that are designed to cope with the easterners' shortage of hard currency. (author)

[en] Examples of the areas of operators, experts and licensing authorities are considered which show how such cooperation is carried out in practice, which problems are dealt with, and which progress has been made so far. (orig./HP)

[en] The necessity of mobilizing the finance under given circumstances is pointed out. The energy sector investments needs correspond to only 3-4% of world GDP or 6-7% of world capital formation. In most developing countries mobilizing financing is a issue, where the risk/return ratio of a given energy investment project does not compare favourably with competing projects and if their handicap is not compensating for by public financing or government guarantees. Compared to the other regions, the energy systems of the economies in transition absorb a high proportion of domestic capital. This is due to past and continuing supply-oriented energy policies and inefficiencies and the export orientation of the energy-rich countries, and to limited domestic capital markets. As a result only a estimated 9-13% of long-term investment 'needs' is presently financed. The root of the problem is slow progress in the reform of energy and capital markets at a time government withdraw from financing and guaranteeing energy investments. Recommendations include transition to sustainable energy strategies ; the liberalization of energy prices and tariffs; the phasing out of subsides and cross-subsides; the stabilization of tax and depreciation regimes; neutrality with regard of the various forms of ownership; reliable law enforcement; non-discrimination of foreign investors, shareholders, competitors; the ratification of the Energy Charter Treaty; and generally, institutional and regulatory frameworks that address market imperfections. Regarding domestic capital markets the goal is to increase traded volume, reduce volatility, and avoid discrimination and favour international integration

[en] The chairman of the governing body of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) has recently commented on the hold-up of improvements to east European reactors due to delays in the provision of funding by western nations. At Chernobyl, two of the four reactors are still in operation. The main defects which led to the disaster in 1986 have been corrected in these and all similar RBMKs. But desirable improvements remain to be carried out to eliminate the risk of minor accidents. The west is criticized for committing too much funding to western engineering studies. The emphasis should now be on enabling eastern operators to buy and install new equipment. Technology transfer is also important so that equipment can be made locally and more cheaply. WANO is increasingly concerned by conditions attached to grants from 67 countries which are administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Bank is singled out for criticism over delays in funding safety improvements to older reactors. (UK)

[en] The efforts of East-European countries have been concentrating on improving the safety of their Soviet-design nuclear power plants. WWER 440/230 and RBMK type reactors are not very well suited to reconstruction. General and technical conditions for the construction of new nuclear power plants in the changed economic situation are discussed. Great importance is attached to a favorable public opinion. (J.B.)

[en] One of the priority sectors in the Finnish co-operation programme with its neighbouring areas, North-West Russia and the Baltic Republics, has been nuclear safety: nuclear power plant safety improvements, radioactive waste management, regulatory body assistance, and safeguards issues. This co-operation was evaluated in 1998 by an external evaluation team. The main conclusion of the evaluation was that the co-operation has been effective, satisfactorily organised, and it has had a positive impact, and hence, the co-operation should be continued. However, it must be realised that the Finnish investments, or even the Western investments as a whole, can only complement the investments and labour of the Russian and Baltic organisations themselves

[en] The present energy market in Central and Eastern Europe differs strongly from the energy situation in open market economies. Compared to the European Communities, the energy market in Central and eastern Europe is characterized by its high energy intensity, high quantity of imported oil and gas from a one country (the ex-Soviet Union), the dominant role of solid fossil fuels in some countries, and environmental pollution. Expected future developments are the reduction of the energy intensity and the total energy consumption, the reduction of the industrial energy consumption, the reduction of the solid fossil fuels as well as the geographic distribution of energy import. The restructuring of the energy industry has been started by introducing a market orientated policy including privatisation and the promotion of the free play of price-making forces, accompanied by relatively small-scale investments. Recent data indicate a decrease of energy consumption due to the economic decline and the shut-down of companies in the heavy industries. (A.S.) 4 figs. 5 tabs