EFN-NEWS

The Newsletter of Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy

Number 8 - Minutes of the Annual Meeting of 11 December 1999

This newsletter is sent gratis by postal mail to members of the Association of Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy (EFN) who have paid current dues. It is also archived and available to the public on the website of EFN : http://www.ecolo.org

As announced, the third Annual Meeting of the Association of Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy was held on Saturday, 11 December 1999, at 3 P.M.

The Council met beforehand to prepare the Annual Meeting and to examine the applications of new members. All who had submitted applications since last year's Annual Meeting, and who had paid their dues, were accepted into membership by the unanimous vote of the Council. Dues for the coming year remain unchanged: Sympathising Member : 15, 20 or 25 Euros, at discretion (about 100, 130 or 160 French francs); Active Member : 30, 45 or 60 Euros, at discretion (about 200, 300 or 400 French francs; Benefactor Member : 75, 150 or 225 Euros, at discretion (about 500, 1000 or 1500 French francs).

The Annual Meeting began at 3 P.M. in a warm and friendly atmosphere, to consider the following agenda:

- Summary of the year's activities and report of the President.
- Financial report and approval of the accounts for 1998.
- Re-election of the members of the Council.
- Presentation of the website of the Association.
- Statistics on the memberships, signers of the petition and the growth of the Association.
- Presentation of the Communications Group - GR COM.
- Modification of the by-laws of the Association to authorize it to undertake law suits.
- A point concerning legal actions of EFN in progress (Superphénix and Tours).
- Expositions, lectures and other projects in progress.
- Determination of priorities for the coming year and other questions.

The President presented a brief summary of the already rich history of the Association since its founding in November 1996, as well as the work of the past year.

A long discussion followed.

The world-wide production of nuclear energy has been remarkably successful. The nuclear energy industry has produced an amount of energy which, had it been produced by burning coal, oil and natural gas, would have resulted in the emission into the atmosphere of a billion tons of carbon dioxide.

In Germany t an agreement was reached between Chancellor Gerhart Schröder and the anti-nuclear Greens according to which Germany will close down its program of nuclear electricity production. The political authorities have not yet agreed with the nuclear energy industry about the the calendar. German public opinion is in general favorable to the idea that presently functioning nuclear reactors should continue to function normally until the end of their useful life. In March a pro-nuclear demonstration in Bonn for the continuation of the German nuclear program was attended by a big crowd. Afterwards, Gerhart Schröder declared that closing down the nuclear program " was not a priority " for his government. EFN wonders how Germany can at the same time close down its nuclear energy industry and limit its carbon dioxide emissions as it committed itself to do at Kyoto.

In Sweden, the No. 1 reactor (615 MW) of the Barseback power station was shut down at the politically motivated request of the Swedish government, in responde to a referendum vote to abandon nuclear energy. This despite the fact that the reactor was clean and environmentally sound and perfectly safe. The corresponding energy will be imported from Denmark and Germany where it will be produced mainly in coal-fired power stations. This was an absurd political decision taken under the political pressure of a small but very active anti-nuclear minority which would like to dictate its opinions to the entire country. It is also a great waste of public funds - a very costly decision for the taxpayer and for the consumer. We are very skeptical about the environmental consequences: it is certainly much better to produce electricity in clean nuclear reactors than in dirty coal-burning power stations.

That decision is in fact a slap in the face to the environment, and it will contribute substantially to the greenhouse effect worldwide as well as acid rain and air pollution in Europe.

Several public opinion polls in Sweden have shown that 80% of the population is hostile to the government's decision. About 60% would prefer to continue to use existing nuclear power stations as long as they are safe and economical. Another 20% of the population polled would like not only to continue to use existing reactors but also to replace them with new ones when they have reached the end of their useful life. Only 20% approve the decision of the government to prematurely shut down the No. 1 reactor at Barseback.

In France we note the continued campaign of antinuclear organizations against La Hague, and in response the " transparency " campaign of Cogéma to install " webcams " at key points inside the plant. These cameras continuously post images to an internet website < http://www.cogemalahague.fr > so that anyone can see what's going on day and night.

The report of the Radioecological Group for Nord-Cotentin put paid to the affair of " childhood leukemia of LaHague ". A group of experts, including representatives of several anti-nuclear asssociations, among them ACRO (Association to Monitor Radioactivity in the West), spent over two years on this in-depth (and costly) study to calculate the long-term risk of leukemia being caused by the (very small) amount of radioactivity released into the atmosphere at the La Hague plant and at the nearby power station at Flamanville. The number of additional cases of childhood leukemia due to this radioactivity was calculated to be 0.0014 cases accumulated over 20 years, an infinitessimal figure.

It should be noted that this study was based on the conservative LNT hypothesis - that the effect of small radiation doses can be extrapolated from observations at high doses; this hypothesis has never been proven and it is recently questioned. It is likely that the number of cases of childhood leukemia caused by the plants in the Nord-Cotentin is ABSOLUTELY ZERO. The report was approved by Dominique Voynet, Minister for the Environment, as well as by some anti-nuclear associations. Nevertheless, there was hardly a word of it in the press other than a short article on page 14 of the regional " Presse de la Manche ", while the alarmist hypotheses of Dr Viel on this subject were extensively publicized by the national press a few years back.

The criticality accident at Tokai Mura in Japan which occurred on Thursday, 30 September 1999 was front page international news, but no one has died of it. Three workers who did not follow established procedures were seriously irradiated, and one of them extremely seriously irradiated. Some tens of fellow workers received doses up to the authorized limits, that is, substantially less than dangerous doses. The Japanese authorities classified this accident at level 5 of the INES (International Nuclear Event Scale) which classifies events on a scale from 1 (an anomaly, with no safety significance) to 7 (a major accident). Chernobyl was a class 7 event.

Jean-Pierre Giraud reminded us that, even though nuclear energy was born of strategic and political considerations , that is, nuclear weapons and the 1973 oil shock; the principal drive today is economic. Nuclear energy is inexpensive even when the price includes fuel reprocessing and dismantling of obsolete reactors (costs not taken into account in pricing fossil-fuel energy).

Rémy Carle explained that on a long term planning basis, and this was the case in France at the time, nuclear energy was from the very start believed to be economically competitive.

Bruno Comby explained that, above and beyond the economic and strategic concerns, nuclear energy has contriibuted substantially to the protection of the environment, for it emits itself no carbon dioxide, and replaces fossil fuel which injects all kinds of polluting substances into the atmosphere.

On the same subject, Jean-Claude Oiseau reminded us that Minister Claude Allègre has come out in favor of nuclear energy, for environmental considerations.

Furthermore, Edward Sayre, an American correspondant of EFN, proposed that EFN make a periodic evaluation, once a year perhaps, and publish " a quatitiative report on planetary pollution " which would include

- the quantitiy of nuclear electricity produced in Europe, Asia, the USA, and in the world;

- the quantity of carbon dioxide and other polluants not injected into the environment, thanks to nuclear energy;

- the quantity of carbon dioxide and nitrogen and sulfur oxides injected into the environment in the past year in Europe, Asia, the USA, and the world;

- the quantity of carbon dioxide which would not be injected into the atmosphere if all fossil fuel power stations were replaced by nuclear.

These figures might then be compared with the modest 2010 objectives of the Kyoto agreement, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 5% compared to 1990.

Percival emphasized the immense discrepancy between the real risks of nuclear energy and the perception of the risks by the public which often believes that nuclear energy is particularly dangerous, expensive and polluting, while in reality it is quite the opposite.

It is precisely the object of EFN to better inform the public about nuclear energy in a complete and honest way, so that everyone may form his own opinion and eventually reduce that discrepancy.

Rémy Carle said that in his view the most important event in 1999 was the fact that the highest international authority, the ICRP (International Commission on Radiation Protection) had questioned the LNT law (Linear dose with No Threshold) which until now has served as the basis for all calculations for protection against radiation and for the development of the present standards. The LNT hypothesis has never been proved and there is much to lend credence to the notion that the effects of strong doses of radiation cannot be extrapolated to very weak doses. This recalls to mind the June 1999 report of the Academy of Medecine, prepared under the direction of Professor Guy de Thé, that no harmful effect has ever been shown to exist for exposures less than 100 mSv received in one dose. Many voices are raised these days calling for the revision of radiation standards in terms of " zero impact on health " rather than the present " zero radioactivity released into the environment ", the latter leading to ridiculous extremes causing us to spend literally billions of Euros to avoid infinitessimal releases into the environment, while we could be saving human lives in other sectors, such as epidemics in Africa, with a few francs.

This third year of the existence of EFN has been marked by a far more rapid growth of membership than expected : see the statistics reported below.

The Association is beginning to be better known in different areas : environmentalist, political, the public at large ...

In addition, the interest in our activity is growing not only in France but in foreign countries. EFN now has 31 local correspondants in about fifteen countries ; see below ... EFN delivered lectures in Canada in June and is invited to the USA by the Texas A&M University first half 2000.

The President of EFN received the First Prize for 1999 for public information, awarded by FAF (French Atomic Forum) and SFEN (French Society for Nuclear Energy); the prize was awarded for the body of his work in linking nuclear energy and the environment.

EFN has also been congratulated by Professor Alan Waltar, former president of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), for its international activities.

During this year, documents presenting EFN were translated into French, English, German, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese. Shortly we will have documents and information circulating in ten languages. An opening to the international scene remains a priority.

In 1999 we saw the creation and development of the communication group GR COM, under the leadership of Jacques Frot, whom the Annual Meeting roundly applauded for his devotion and for the excellence of his work. The group gives lectures everywhere in France. See report below.

At Antananarive (Madagascar), just a few days before the Annual Meeting, EFN met a close advisor to the President of the Malgache Republic, and raised with him questions about the energy needs of a country at the threshold of development. EFN made several proposals concerning energy in Madagascar. In view of the very low level of electricity consumption (per capita), renewable energies - hydro and wind - might well satisfy the needs for small amounts of energy far from the wired network - enough for a few light bulbs, a small radio, a satellite telephone and a television set in each village, for example. In ten or fifteen years time, one might be able to justify two small nuclear reactors of 100 to 150 MW - PBR, GT-MHR, PWR or BWR - to provide the energy needed for industrial and economic take-off, rather than to turn to fossil fuels which are polluting and costly and subject to large swings in price and availability. Variations in the price of oil, such as those we have seen recently, would impose great economic hardship on a country like Madagascar. Today the principal source of energy is wood, leading to deforestation. Coal is also used: it is of poor quality and especially polluting. To learn more about the economic development of Madagascar, see the Internet site of IDEM (French Institute for the Economic Development of Madagascar) : < http://www.ecolo.org/madagascar >.

Pierre Bauquis suggested that the present and future situation of nuclear energy can be compared to that of air transport : big planes like the Boeing-747 transport most of the passengers between the biggest airports, and many small aircraft provide less frequent local service between smaller airports. The problem is to be sure that the small planes are as safe and as well maintained as the big ones, and that the pilots have been as well trained and are as well supervised, It's the same in the nuclear energy industry. The 1000+ MW reactors, PWR and BWR, that we know in the West provide the basic supply of electrical energy in the advanced countries; but in the future there will be a call for smaller reactors of 50 to 100 MW for local and regional energy supply. The whole question is to be sure that this class of reactors is as safe and as well supervised as the big ones, that the operating personnel are as well trained and kept up to date, so that the utmost safety is assured. That should be possible, for the level of complexity and instability are no greater for a nuclear reactor than for an airplane.

EFN is regularly asked to participate in seminars and meetings concerning nuclear energy and asked to contribute to the discussions which follow. Examples are the CLI - Local Information Committees - near nuclear sites and colloquia about energy.

The next ATSR colloquium (Association for Science and Technology for Radioprotection), 15-17 December 1999 at La Villette, plans for a whole day of lectures presented by EFN. Jacques Frot and Jacques Pradel will speak, respectively, on nuclear energy and its impact on the environment, and on the little known but very interesting phenomenon of " polonium rain ". Bruno Comby will be Honorary President of the colloquium, replacing the Minister Dominique Voynet who was initially invited.

In summary, EFN continues to grow rapidly, more rapidly than expected, as much in its numbers as in its renown.

The accounts for the year 1st January to 31st December 1998 were presented to the Annual Meeting.

The year's income was : 92,350 francs, substantially greater than last year; to which one must add the positive carry-over of the previous year's exercise : 1062.52 francs.

The year's expenses were : 72,526.81 francs.

The balance is then : 20,885.81 francs, which is the opening balance on 1st January 1999

Expenses as well as income are modest. The work of the Association is done entirely by volunteers. Each one contributes what he can, the work goes forward and new activities are undertaken, while costs remain at an absolute minimum.

The accounts for the year 1998 were approved by a unanimous vote of those present and represented.

The Association has 31 local correspondants in France and in fifteen countries abroad :

- in all regions of France,

- in Europe: Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine and Bulgaria,

- in North America : Canada and in many states of the United States,

- in Asia : Taiwan.

The petition has been signed by people in Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Italy, Greeece, Sweden, Spain, Australia, China and Brazil.

Being a local correspondant implies no particular obligation to pay dues or even to attend meetings: we seek no more than voluntary local support for the objectives of the Association, to the extent that the local correspondant can provide it.

The role of the local correspondant is to publicize the Association of Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy, by speaking of it to friends, colleagues and neighbors; by circulating the petition for signatures; by establishing local contacts (to schedule a lecture, for example); by inserting an item in a local newsletter or newspaper ... The Association will provide documentation upon request. All ideas and suggestions are welcome. EFN is eager to take advantage of all persons of good will, and it may happen that two or more local correspondants are found in the same region or town: they should work together to form a local group, etc.

Any person who wishes to help promote our activities may become a local correspondant in his region, in his city, in his country, in his place of employment ... All one needs to do is fill in and submit an application (the form is available in French and English on the Internet at : http://www.ecolo.org

In accordance with Article 11 of the By-laws of the Association, the Annual Meeting elects or re-elects members of the Council. The Annual Meeting elected a Council composed of the following:

PRESIDENT : Mr Bruno COMBY, graduate of the École Polytechnique, author of ten books on health and the environment, including " Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy ".

VICE PRESIDENT : Professor Henri JOYEUX, surgeon and professor at the Medical Faculty of Montpellier. He was awarded an international prize for cancer studies, and he is director of the collection " Ecologie Humaine " for the Guibert publishing house.

GENERAL SECRETARY : Mr Hubert CHOPIN, magistrate and vice-president of the Superior Court (TGI) of Troyes.

New DEPUTY SECRETARY : Mr Michel NORAZ, retired, amateur environmentalist gardener, member of the city council of Greville-Hague. He has already represented the Association at the CLI (Local Information Committee) of Flamanville (Normandy).

TREASURER : Mr Pierre-Yves VINCENT, professional accountant.

The Association expresses its particular gratitude to Madame Simone WEISS-PERREAU, retired nursing professor, for her contribution to the work of the Council as DEPUTY SECRETARY since the Association was created in 1996. In these three years, she has worked tirelessly for the development of the Association. Her contribution was warmly applauded by the Annual Meeting. We note that Simone is a convinced environmentalist and a pioneer in several other associations since the 1960s; she was at one time actively opposed to Superphénix, but upon reflection she changed her mind about nuclear energy and faithfully supported the Association. At her age, Simone has withdrawn in favor of a younger person. We wish her a long and comfortable retirement.

On this occasion we welcome Michel NORAZ to the Council and wish him all success in his new responsibilities.

On 26th November 1999, EFN had 3494 members and associates (signers of the petition). A year ago we were 1644. The growth is 112% in one year, and we are more than double in number.

You may recall that at the outset, we fixed our goals as : 100 at the end of one year, 1000 at the end of two years, and 2000 at the end of three years. These goals have been largely exceeded.

During the past year, EFN has presented its activities to the public at the following public expositions and professional meetings:

- VIVEZ BIO : environmental exposition (Nice)
- SESAME : environmental exposition (Nimes)
- MEDEC : annual show of the medical profession (Paris)
- SALON DU LIVRE : annual show of the book and publishing industry (Paris)
- SALON INFIRMIER : annual show of the nursing profession
- SALON DU BIEN-ETRE : environmental exposition
- SALON BIEN VIVRE : environmental exposition
- HORIZON NATURE : environmental exposition
- NATURE BIO SANTE : environmental exposition
- BIO NATURE ENVIRONNEMENT : environmental exposition
- TERRE DE SIENNE : environmental exposition
- SYMBIOSE : environmental exposition
- ATSR... : annual congress of the Association of Technical personnel & engineers in the Science of Radioprotection

Cette série d'expositions a été l'occasion de faire connaître l'importance des questions énergétiques, et de répondre aux questions que se pose le public dans le domaine de l'énergie nucléaire et de son impact sur l'environnement. L'accueil du public (environ un million de visiteurs ont visité ces expositions) a été chaleureux et sincère. Les gens posent beaucoup de questions, en particulier sur les déchets nucléaires, sur le retraitement des déchets, et sur les nombreuses fausses rumeurs médiatisées qui circulent dans le domaine du nucléaire : conséquences de Tchernobyl, dangerosité des transports de conteneurs nucléaires, rejets de l'usine de La Hague, que faire des déchets nucléaires, et l'impact de l'énergie nucléaire sur la santé du public en général. Beaucoup de visiteurs sont contents de pouvoir s'informer et dialoguer, et certains signent la pétition. Quelques uns (une toute petite minorité) ne partagent pas notre point de vue. Il s'ensuit alors généralement une discussion passionnante pour tous, et qui ne manque jamais d'attirer l'attention des visiteurs alentours.

Globalement, tout s'est passé dans la bonne humeur sur ces expos, dans une ambiance très conviviale. Les oppositions acérées d'un tout petit nombre d'individus résolument anti-nucléaires et prêts à tout pour défendre leurs convictions, observées au cours de la première année d'existence de l'association semblent maintenant se tasser, même si l'on observe toujours des réactions sporadiques ici ou là...

L'AEPN a notamment été victime d'une agression organisée contre elle par des écologistes anti-nucléaires lors d'une exposition à Tours au mois de juin 1999. Le Président de l'Association et les deux bénévoles (Monique et Jean-Marie Lecocq) présents ce jour-là sur le stand ont eu droit à des reproches, insultes et menaces en public pendant plus d'une demi-heure, avant que les agresseurs ne se mettent à démonter le stand, sans y avoir été autorisé, malgré l'opposition, pacifique, des membres de l'AEPN. Les organisateurs (semble-t-il anti-nucléaires) de cette exposition n'ont pas fait cesser l'agression, refusant de faire intervenir le service d'ordre. Etant donné la gravité de ces faits et leur caractère inacceptable, il a été décidé de porter cette affaire en justice. Le dossier suit actuellement son cours auprès du Tribunal de grande instance (TGI) de Tours. On remarquera que ces réactions sporadiques d'hostilité ne sont généralement pas le fait de personnes du public, mais quasimment toujours de membres ou sympathisants d'associations anti-nucléaires ou pseudo-indépendantes se disant pacifistes. Les écologistes anti-nucléaires à tout crin, même lorsque cette énergie est propre et respectueuse de l'environnement sont-ils vraiment des écologistes ?

La grande majorité des visiteurs de ces expositions est très contente d'entendre un nouveau son de cloche et de découvrir qu'il existe des écologistes qui soutiennent le nucléaire propre et respectueux de l'environnement. C'est ainsi que le nombre de membres de l'association ne cesse de croître.

Après cette série d'expositions, il apparaît que le bilan global de ces expositions en termes humains, de communications, d'échanges, d'information et de présence au contact du public est largement positif et nous espérons poursuivre ces expositions l'année prochaine.

Merci à tous ceux qui ont aidé à installer et à tenir le stand, et à y présenter les activités de l'AEPN sur ces expos : Jean-Marie, Jean-Claude, Monique, Michaël, Serge, Hubert, Delphine, Nicole, Perceval, Alain...

This group consists of about fifteen members of the Association, under the guidance of Jacques Frot (member of EFN, retired from the oil industry). They are competent, motivated and devoted public speakers.

In fact, the public really doesn't know very much about energy; it's rather mysterious and there are cliches and false notions circulating which need to be clarified and explained.

Many people have no idea about the way a nuclear power station works, about the real impact upon their health and on the environment of the different sources of energy, how nuclear and other wastes are handled, how reactors are dismantled after they have served their useful life, and how much all this costs to the taxpayer and to the consumer.

There is nothing to compare to the exchange of experience between competent and devoted speakers and the public which asks these questions. That 's why the EFN's Communications Group - GR COM - conducts a program of public lectures on the theme of " Nuclear Enerrgy ".

The principle is simple: basic lectures have been prepared with modules and audiovisual materials treating different forms of energy and their environmental impact. The object is to inform the public and to present the material as completely and as objectively as possible.

The lectures are given before audiences such as school and university students, health professionals, professional organizations, municipal groups, cultural centers...The speakers adapt their discourse to the level of the audience. The audience is then free to ask any questions they like, about the subject of the lecture or any related subject - no taboos, no restrictions.

To date EFN has presented some fifty lectures and presentations of this type, and many more are in preparation. The results of the first year of the GR COM were roundly applauded by the Annual Meeting, and wishes were expressed for their further success.

Among the lectures in view, a lecture will be given at Poitiers on 4th January 2000 to inaugurate the millenium. The audience is expected to number 500.

See the up-to-date program of lectures on GR COM's website: http://www.ecolo.org/conferences/

In the framework of the Communications Group, EFN organized visits this year to:

- the fuel reprocessing plant at La Hague

- the Marcoule site: the Phénix reactor, the Centraco plant, the MELOX plant (production of MOX fuel elements)

- the Canadian correspondants of EFN organized a visit to the Chalk River (Ontario) nuclear center of AECL - Atomic Energy of Canada (Limited).

Since its creation, EFN has been represented by delegations visiting the following sites:

- the nuclear power station at Penly (two 1300 MW reactors)
- the nuclear waste reprocessing plant at La Hague
- ANDRA's planned laboratory for undergound storage of long-lived nuclear waste at La Chapelle-Baton in the Department of the Vienne
- the 1450 MW Superphénix fast breeder reactor
- the treatment plant for liquid wastes (STEL) at Marcoule, and
- the SFEN exposition at Rouen on the occasion of the centenary of the discovery of radioactivity.

A visit to the Civaux nuclear power station (EdF) is planned for 3rd January 2000.
The following visits are envisaged for next year:

- a visit by GR COM to the MOL site in Belgium,
- BR2, a unique laboratory where various environments can be simulated for the study of the materials of construction of nuclear reactors
- Hadès, an undergrouind laboratory studying the feasibility and long-term security of underground storage of nuclear waste, from a geological point of view
- BR3, the first European dismantling of a pressurized water reactor
- perhaps the CSA (in the department of the Aube) storage of short lived radioactive wastes;
- and other visits yet to be identified.

During this year, EFN went to the Supreme Court (Conseil d'Etat) to seek the cancellation of the decree closing the Superphénix, a prototype reactor of great environmental interest, and to prevent its being dismantled. Our request was joined to five others, including that of the CSS (Committee to Support Superphénix)

And then, another case is in progress before the Superior Court (TGI) of Tours arising from the 5th June 1999 attack by members of anti-nuclear organizations upon the President and two volunteers of EFN at the exposition " Horizon Nature ". Maître Raoul Bernard, counsel of EFN, outlined the status of this case.

Our first two affairs have given us the occasion to become more familiar with legal prodecures.

The Annual Meeting decided to create a Legal Committee consisting of the Secretary General, the President and Maître Raoul Bernard, admitted to practice before the Bar of Paris.

The By-laws of the Association were modified to authorize and simplify our legal activities (see below).

The object of these modifications of the by-laws is to authorize the association to engage in law suits and to simplify procedures. The need for this authority appeared in first half 1999 during our law suit before the Supreme Court (Conseil d'État) in which EFN sought the cancellation of the Government's decree of 31 December 1998 definitively ending operations at Superphénix, as well as the suspension of the order to begin dismantling it.

This required an emergency meeting of the Council, which was difficult to organize in view of the short time available early in January 1999.

Then, for technical reasons, in order to comply with French law concerning the right of a not-for-profit organization to go to court (decision of the Second Chamber of the Civil Appeals Court, 10th October 1978), and to avoid any eventual questioning by an eventual adversary of the association's right to go to law, several juridical specialists advised us to provide suitable dispositions in the by-laws.

1. To modify article 3 to authorize the association to go to court;

2. To modify article 8 concerning the forms and terms of an eventual law suit.

The modificatons were submitted to the Special Meeting and adopted:

For article 3, to add to the activities which the Association is authorized to undertake in order to achieve its objectives, and already enumerated: " ... legal action before all competent jurisdictions, whether local, national, European, foreign or international ".

To modify the end of article 8 " Composition of the Council and representation of the Association ", so as to read " The President represents the association in all acts of civil life and is authorized to engage in legal action in the name of the association. He manages the finances. He may delegate authority. In cases of law, he cannot be replaced except by a representative acting under a specific proxy. The representatives of the association should enjoy all civil rights.

EFN maintains two mailing lists for Internet messages:

- in French with 228 names, a 75% increase over last year, and
- in English with 373 names, a 280% increase over last year.

In total 601 persons receive EFN messages by the Internet.

Many documents in WORD 6 format are available on the website, in French, English and Italian. New doocuments are posted to the website as they become available : http://www.ecolo.org/documents/

It has been decided to create thematic groups (committees) within the Association. The leader of each group will work in close collaboration with the Council and the Association.

- Communication group GR COM has been in existence since early 1999. It is led by Jacques Frot with the help of Michel, Alain and Bruno and about twelve lecturers.

- Legal group : Hubert Chopin, Maître Raoul Bernard of the bar of Paris, Bruno Comby.

- Membership and mailing list management : Jean-Claude Oiseau and Bruno Comby.

- Committee for contacts with other institutions : Michel Noraz and Bruno Comby.

- Committee for the development of resources : Michel Noraz and Perceval with the help of Pierre-Yves.

Our priorities for the coming year are the continuation of current activities:

- the growth of the Association. Our next mileposts - to reach 4000 and then 5000 members and signers of the petition.

- development of the communications group GR COM. A budget appropriation will be made; Jacques Frot will have control of that budget under the supervision of Bruno Comby.

- distribution of messages to the e-Mail list (on average about 3 messages per week). Jean-Claude Oiseau will manage the list, keep it up to date, acknowledge messages, etc. Until now this work has been done at the head office. At a technical meeting Bruno and Jean-Claude will examine ways to decentralize and automate some of these tasks.

- modernization of the Internet site. The website receives about 30 visitors a day: over 5000 hits were recorded from March to November 1999. A technical recasting is planned using an architecture with frames. Dozens of pages of information will be put on-line to explain energy considerations, advantages and disadvantages of various sources of energy, as well as more and more pages in French, English, Italian and other languages. More to the point, it is now possible to join the Association and to renew one's membership on-line (see below).

- increase the number of local correspondants and expand their activities. Frederic has offered his help in this respect.

- follow-up of current law suits.

- new documents: A new presentation of EFN (in A5 format 15 x 21 cm) was distributed to the General Meeting so that people might take them home to acquaint people around them with the Association. The format is unchanged but the information is reorganized, and the document has a better appearance. This prospectus was printed in Madagascar: we have at the same time supported the development of that country and saved money for the Association. In the future, we will have another piece of publicity (in A4 format folded in half to constitute an A5 document of four pages). This single document will include the presentation of EFN, an application for membership, list of lectures, and information about the website: these have been separate documents until now. The document will be finalized at head office and Jean-Marie will see to it that it is printed before the next campaign of expositions and conferences, for these documents are intended for distribution at the expositions and during other activities of the association.

Spread the good word about EFN around you wherever you are - all volunteer help is welcome!

The Annual Meeting ended at 8 P.M. and was followed by a buffet supper of healthy food and a pleasant evening together.

The next Annual Meeting will be held: in the autumn 2000

You may join the eMail mailing list of EFN; it's gratis. All you have to do is send us your e-Mail address. You may also join the Association by filling in the application form which is found on the website at :

http://www.ecolo.org/subscri/subscriit.htm   (click on this address when connected to the internet to access it)

SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTALISTS FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY! If you share our views, sign the petition and join the Association. You can become a sympathizing member for only 20 Euros, and a donating member for 100 Euros which includes subscription to the newsletter. Membership is valid for one year. If you are already a member, you may renew your membership now. No matter when you renew your membership, it will be extended for a full year after the date of expiration of your present membership. Thank you for joining EFN and for your support of environmentally clean nuclear energy.

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