[E-rundbrief] Info 106 - European Petition against Nuclear Power
Matthias Reichl
mareichl at ping.at
So Apr 25 16:38:41 CEST 2004
E-Rundbrief - Info 106 - European Petition 1 Million Europeans demand the
Exit of Nuclear Power.
Bad Ischl, 25.4.2004
Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
www.begegnungszentrum.at
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EUROPEAN PETITION 1 MILLION EUROPEANS DEMAND THE EXIT OF NUCLEAR POWER
PRESS RELEASE, April 25th, 2004
Almost 50 organisations and movements from some 20 European countries are
on the Chernobyl-Memorial-day at April 26th launching a European Campaign
for collecting 1 million signatures against nuclear power.
For a period of maximum one year, the aim is to collect signatures and
activate more organisations to join the campaign in order to convince all
European countries to take the following measures without delay :
to stop or prevent the construction of new nuclear power plants and
facilities in the European Union,
to launch a plan to abandon nuclear power within the European Union,
to invest massively in energy saving and the development of renewable
energies,
to repeal the Euratom Treaty which massively supports nuclear power in
Europe by means of public funding
Only these measures will make it possible to fight against nuclear danger
and global warming at the same time.
Some of the organisations initiating the European "1 million signature
campaign" are taking part in the launching of the campaign in Helsinki in
Finland on April 26th. The organisations will be received by different
ministeries, there will be a press conference and a street action where
speeches will be held and signatures will be collected. The organisations
have also sent their complaints to the Finnish Ministry of Trade and
Industry about the plans to build a 1 600 MW EPR nuclear power plant in
Olkiluoto on the Finnish west coast. The EPR has not been built anywhere;
it exists only on paper. It is a prototype that will be tested in Finland
in spite of several warnings about severe safety deficits and too
optimistic cost calculation and costruction schedule.
The organisations will also be visiting St. Petersburg during the weekend
April 23rd 25th in order to promote the signature campaign also in Russia,
and in order to express deep worries about the plans of the Russian government,
to prolong the utility permit of the oldest Chernobyl type reactor in the
world at the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant in Sosnovy Bor,
to let the temporary nuclear waste storage of the Leningrad Nuclear Power
Plant - situated only 90 meters from the Baltic Sea coast and containing
radioactivity corresponding to 40 50 Chernobyl accidents - continue its
existence,
to let harbours in Ust-Luga and Vysotsk be used for transports of
radioactive material.
The organisations taking part in the events in Helsinki and St.Petersburg
are amongst others:
Reseau "Sortir du Nucléaire", a French anti-nuclear network of some 700
organisations. This network is launching a one month anti-nuclear rally in
France on the 24th of April and this rally will cover 4 000 kilometres and
some 50 cities and localities. During the rally signatures will be
collected for the European petition, and protests will be made against any
construction of new nuclear power plants in France.
The German section of the IPPNW (International Physicians for the
Prevention of Nuclear War). The IPPNW in Germany is heavily critisising
the use of nuclear power as a source of material for producing nuclear
weapons. IPPNW is organising a big conference against nuclear power in
Berlin May 7th 9th this year.
The Austrian organisation "Atomstopp International", one of the
coordinators of the European 1 million signatures campaign. "Atomstopp" is
also organising a big conference against nuclear power next autumn.
The "World Information Service on Energy" (WISE) situated in Holland, a
large network of organisations against nuclear power and for the use of
renewable energy sources.
"Aktionsbündnis CASTOR-Widerstand" from Germany, having a long tradition of
successful actions against nuclear transports in Germany.
The German party Liberale Demokraten
The Green Party of Sweden
The Peoples Campaign against Nuclear Power/Nuclear Weapons from Sweden
Women against nuclear power from Finland
The "No more nuclear power movement" from Finland
Women for Peace from Finland
This campaigning against nuclear power all over Europe is supported by a
Youth action, an open-end fast (hunger strike) for a "Nuclear-Free France",
starting on the 21st of June 2004.
A clear majority of the citizens of Europe are against the use of nuclear
power for energy production. Of the current EU Member States (EU-15) seven
are not using nuclear power as an energy source. In addition five
member-states have decided to give up the use of nuclear power. Amongst
these is Spain where the new Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero reaffirmed
the Spanish decision to phase-out nuclear power in a speech during his
swearing-in ceremony in Madrid on April 15th.
Nuclear accidents do not respect geographical borders. An accident anywhere
in Europe or the rest of the world can affect the lifes of millions of
people living not only today but also in the far future.
Therefore organisations from all over Europe have joined forces to fight
nuclear projects by democratic means.
WE DO NOT FIGHT INDIVIDUAL STATES OR ENERGY PRODUCERS, WE FIGHT AGAINST
NUCLEAR POWER IN THE NAME OF THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN EUROPE!
The petition can be signed online on HYPERLINK "http://www.atomstopp.com"
www.atomstopp.com.
For further information:
Ulla Klötzer Women against nuclear power, Finland: +358-50-569 09 67
Lea Launokari Women for Peace, Finland: +358-50-55 22 330
Anna-Liisa Mattsoff - No more Nuclear Power movemen, Finland: +358-50-468 2895
Jean-Yvon Landrac Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire": +33-699 562 967
Roland Egger Atomstopp International: +43-664 421 5613
Lars Pohlmeier IPPNW, German section: +49-171-416 0139
Maria Braig Aktionsbündnis Castor-Widerstand: +49-160-957 109 99
Sten Danielsson The Green Party of Sweden: + 46-70 362 3404
HYPERLINK "http://www.atomstopp.com" www.atomstopp.com
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Matthias Reichl
Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Wolfgangerstr.26
A-4820 Bad Ischl
Tel. +43-6132-24590
e-mail: mareichl at ping.at
http://www.begegnungszentrum.at
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