At odds over EU, France and Turkey talk nuclear
’France has offered Turkey cooperation on civil nuclear energy and closer trade ties, seeking to improve relations that have been damaged by President Nicolas Sarkozy's opposition to Turkey joining the European Union. Sarkozy had proposed to his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul during a working lunch at his Elysee palace that the two countries could work together on nuclear projects not only in Turkey but also in central Asia. "President Gul said he was interested. He noted that he had met several times with Anne Lauvergeon, chief executive of (nuclear technology group) Areva, and that there were very interesting prospects," said an Elysee source. The source gave no further details about those prospects, but said that Sarkozy had expressed hope that French power group GDF Suez would soon be able to take part in the EU-backed multi-billion dollar Nabucco gas pipeline. GDF Suez withdrew its bid to take part in building Nabucco, which will run through Turkey, in 2008 because of Turkish objections to its participation. The Turkish position was motivated by France's stance on its EU accession talks.’

Germany smiles on nuclear power
’Following the German general election of 27 September 2009, the new German government will be formed from the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union of Bavaria parties (CDU/CSU) and the Free Democrats (FDP). NEI correspondent Carsten Salander outlines the new prospects for nuclear power in Germany. The current federal chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has announced the intention to delay the formation of a new government until November 9, the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. Until then, the present government will be still formally in office. Last week was the last cabinet meeting in Berlin (on October 7), but as to my knowledge there were no energy items on the agenda. In fact until a new chancellor (Merkel) is formally elected by the new legislature, the Bundestag, and until she has then nominated new ministers, probably nothing of importance will happen. Before the elections all three parties that will now form the new government had announced to vote for a life extension of the German nuclear power plants when they came into power. Now, the first discussions among energy politicians in these parties indicate that this might not be the case for all nuclear power plants. The four oldest '69 type BWRs, Brunsbüttel (KKB), Krümmel (KKK), Isar 1 (KKI 1) and Philippsburg 1 (KKP 1), have faced strong criticism.’

France Backs Bulgaria in Hopes for Nuclear Aid
’French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has expressed support for more compensations for the closed reactors at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant. This was announced by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov after a meeting with his French counterpart as he started a two-day working visit to France on October 12 2009. The decision for granting Bulgaria additional EUR 300 M in compensations for the closed four reactors at Kozloduy nuclear power plant is expected to taken within weeks in Brussels. The aid would have to be approved by the EU's 27 governments and the European Parliament, which might not be easy considering constraints in the EU budget resulting from the economic crisis. The EU has already granted Bulgaria some EUR 550 M in compensation for the closure in 2006 of two Soviet-designed reactors at Kozloduy that had been deemed unsafe, but the government hopes to receive more aid under Europe's recovery plan.’

Amec joins India's drive for reactors
’Engineering and project management group Amec has joined forces with Hindustan Construction, one of India's biggest construction firms, to spearhead a multi-billion-pound nuclear building programme. The two have signed a memorandum of understanding that will harness Amec's nuclear expertise to design and provide safety systems for nuclear power stations. The agreement follows India's announcement of plans to build hundreds of reactors over the next 40 years as it starts to bridge the energy gap and replace oil and coal-fired power plants.’

$4.5B Constellation deal clears final federal hurdle
’After gaining approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, only Maryland regulators stand between Constellation Energy Group of Baltimore and its sale of almost half of its nuclear power business to a French company for $4.5 billion. The Maryland Public Service Commission held hearings on the deal last month to review how it could affect customers of Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., Constellation's regulated utility. The commission has scheduled more hearings on Wednesday and Thursday on the proposed deal with EDF Group. On Friday, Constellation and EDF executives said the NRC approved the investment structure and license transfer of their deal. That follows approvals from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and the New York Public Service Commission. The companies agreed to the deal in December.’

Two-day Indo-French nuclear business meet in Mumbai from Oct 14
’Mumbai: The second two-day Indo-French Nuclear Business Meet will begin in the city on October 14. Nearly 500 Indian and French nuclear industry players and decision-makerswill get the opportunity to exchange ideas on nuclear cooperation with respect to various aspects including technical, business and economics. This will be the biggest event that India has seen in this field under the patronage of the French Embassy in India, UBIFRANCE (French agency for the international development of companies) and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, a French Embassy release said here. The two-day meet will be inaugurated bythe French Ambassador to India Jerome Bonnafont.’

This Time, the Hawks Are French
’PARIS - When a country gets certified as a Multilateral Good Guy as the United States did last week, thanks to the Norwegian Nobel Prize Committee, one of the obligations that comes with the designation is listening seriously to warnings from less powerful partners. Against the background of America's recent past, these circumstances would ordinarily mean the United States hearing about its insufficient
nuance, inadequate patience, and fatal reliance on force. Hand on throat, or finger to trigger - that's not the way to do it, the classic admonition went. But there's something that's not clear: how this America reacts now when it's told it's behaving weakly, indecisively, or perhaps deceptively in inadequately trying to stop Iran's rush toward a nuclear weapon. Which is just the argument that France's nuclear nonproliferation experts are making. They suggest the Americans are selling likely Iranian trickery as hopeful signs, and toying with potential agreements with the mullahs that resemble the American concessions on North Korea which have led only to its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Their warnings can be blunt: that the United Sates is playing a flabby, losing game against Iran; and even that it's failed to arouse any nervousness in Tehran that the Americans would eventually dare acknowledge the failure of current negotiations, or subsequent sanctions, and consider a military strike on Iranian nuclear installations. These French concerns are not feigned. Why this so-called French hawkishness?’