    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
    [March 9, 1995]
    [Pages 327-328]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress on Nuclear Cooperation With EURATOM
    March 9, 1995

    To the Congress of the United States:
        The United States has been engaged in nuclear cooperation with the
    European Community (now European Union) for many years. This cooperation
    was initiated under agreements that were concluded in 1957 and 1968
    between the United States and the European Atomic Energy Community
    (EURATOM) and that expire December 31, 1995. Since the inception of this
    cooperation, EURATOM has adhered to all its obligations under those
    agreements.
        The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 amended the Atomic Energy
    Act of 1954 to establish new nuclear export criteria, including a
    requirement that the United States have a right to consent to the
    reprocessing of fuel exported from the United States. Our present
    agreements for cooperation with EURATOM do not contain such a right. To
    avoid disrupting cooperation with EURATOM, a proviso was included in the
    law to enable continued cooperation until March 10, 1980, if EURATOM
    agreed to negotiations concerning our cooperation agreements. EURATOM
    agreed in 1978 to such negotiations.
        The law also provides that nuclear cooperation with EURATOM can be
    extended on an annual basis after March 10, 1980, upon determination by
    the President that failure to cooperate would be seriously prejudicial
    to the achievement of U.S. nonproliferation objectives or otherwise
    jeopardize the common defense and security, and after notification to
    the Congress. President Carter made such a determination 15 years ago
    and signed Executive Order No. 12193, permitting nuclear cooperation
    with EURATOM to continue until March 10, 1981. Presidents Reagan and
    Bush made similar determinations and signed Executive orders each year
    during their terms. I signed Executive Order No. 12840 in 1993 and
    Executive Order No. 12903 in 1994, which extended cooperation until
    March 10, 1994, and March 10, 1995, respectively.
        In addition to numerous informal contacts, the United States has
    engaged in frequent talks with EURATOM regarding the renegotiation of
    the U.S.-EURATOM agreements for cooperation. Talks were conducted in
    November 1978; September 1979; April 1980; January 1982; November 1983;
    March 1984; May, September, and November 1985; April and July 1986;
    September 1987; September and November 1988; July and December 1989;
    February, April, October, and December 1990; and September 1991. Formal
    negotiations on a new agreement were held in April, September, and
    December 1992;

    [[Page 328]]

    March, July, and October 1993; June, October, and December 1994; and
    January and February 1995. They are expected to continue.
        I believe that it is essential that cooperation between the United
    States and EURATOM continue, and likewise, that we work closely with our
    allies to counter the threat of proliferation of nuclear explosives. Not
    only would a disruption of nuclear cooperation with EURATOM eliminate
    any chance of progress in our negotiations with that organization
    related to our agreements, it would also cause serious problems in our
    overall relationships. Accordingly, I have determined that failure to
    continue peaceful nuclear cooperation with EURATOM would be seriously
    prejudicial to the achievement of U.S. nonproliferation objectives and
    would jeopardize the common defense and security of the United States. I
    therefore intend to sign an Executive order to extend the waiver of the
    application of the relevant export criterion of the Atomic Energy Act
    until the current agreements expire on December 31, 1995.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    March 9, 1995.

     Note: The Executive order is listed in Appendix D at the end of this
    volume.