[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 91 (Thursday, June 24, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H4879-H4880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROTOCOL AMENDING THE AGREEMENT FOR COOPERATION CONCERNING CIVIL USES 
 OF ATOMIC ENERGY BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE 
 GOVERNMENT OF CANADA--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 
from the President of the United States; which was read and, together 
with the accompanying papers, without objection, referred to the 
Committee on International Relations and ordered to be printed:

To the Congress of the United States:
  I am pleased to transmit to the Congress, pursuant to sections 123 b. 
and 123 d. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153 
(b) and (d)), the text of a proposed Protocol Amending the Agreement 
for Cooperation Concerning Civil Uses of Atomic Energy Between the 
Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada 
signed at Washington on June 15, 1955, as amended. I am also pleased to 
transmit my written approval, authorization, and determination 
concerning the Protocol, and an unclassified Nuclear Proliferation 
Assessment Statement (NPAS) concerning the Protocol. (In accordance 
with section 123 of the Act, as amended by Title XII of the Foreign 
Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-277), I 
have submitted to the Congress under separate cover a classified annex 
to the NPAS, prepared in consultation with the Director of Central 
Intelligence, summarizing relevant classified information.) The joint 
memorandum submitted to me by the Secretary of State and the Secretary 
of Energy and a letter from the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission stating the views of the Commission are also enclosed.
  The proposed Protocol has been negotiated in accordance with the 
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and other applicable law. In my 
judgment, it meets all statutory requirements and will advance the 
nonproliferation and other foreign policy interests of the United 
States.
  The Protocol amends the Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Civil 
Uses of Atomic Energy Between the Government of the United States of 
America and the Government of Canada in two respects:
  1. It extends the Agreement, which would otherwise expire by its 
terms on January 1, 2000, for an additional period of 30 years, with 
the provision for automatic extensions thereafter in increments of 5 
years each unless either Party gives timely notice to terminate the 
Agreement; and
  2. It updates certain provisions of the Agreement relating to the 
physical protection of materials subject to the Agreement.
  The Agreement itself was last amended on April 23, 1980, to bring it 
into conformity with all requirements of the Atomic Energy Act and the 
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978. As amended by the proposed 
Protocol, it will continue to meet all requirements of U.S. law.
  Canada ranks among the closest and most important U.S. partners in 
civil nuclear cooperation, with ties dating back to the early days of 
the Atoms for Peace program. Canada is also in the forefront of 
countries supporting international efforts to prevent the spread of 
nuclear weapons to additional countries. It is a party to the Treaty on 
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and has an agreement 
with the IAEA for the application of full-scope safeguards to its 
nuclear program. It also subscribes to the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) 
Guidelines, which set forth standards for the responsible export of 
nuclear commodities for peaceful use, and to the Zangger (NPT 
Exporters) Committee Guidelines, which oblige members to require the 
application of IAEA safeguards on nuclear exports to nonnuclear weapon 
states. It is a party to the Convention on the

[[Page H4880]]

Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, whereby it has agreed to apply 
international standards of physical protection to the storage and 
transport of nuclear material under its jurisdiction or control.
  Continued close cooperation with Canada in the peaceful uses of 
nuclear energy, under the long-term extension of the U.S.-Canada 
Agreement for Cooperation provided for in the proposed Protocol, will 
serve important U.S. national security, foreign policy, and commercial 
interests.
  I have considered the views and recommendations of the interested 
agencies in reviewing the proposed Protocol and have determined that 
its performance will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable 
risk to, the common defense and security. Accordingly, I have approved 
the Protocol and authorized its execution and urge that the Congress 
give it favorable consideration.
  This transmission shall constitute a submittal for purposes of both 
sections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Atomic Energy Act. My Administration 
is prepared to begin immediate consultations with the Senate Foreign 
Relations and House International Relations Committees as provided in 
section 123 b. Upon completion of the 30-day continuous session period 
provided for in section 123 b., the 60-day continuous session period 
provided for in section 123 d. shall commence.
                                                  William J. Clinton.  
  The White House, June 24, 1999.

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