Germany yesterday abandoned a pledge to ban the reprocessing of nuclear waste as part of a plan to close down the country's nuclear power stations. A spokesman for Environment Minister, Mr Jurgen Trittin, confirmed that a ban on reprocessing will not be part of a new draft law on nuclear energy to be considered next month. "The question of reprocessing has been set aside," he said.
Germany's ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens is committed to closing all the country's nuclear power stations, but the parties disagree about the pace of change.
Mr Trittin originally wanted to ban reprocessing from next January 1st, but he was overruled by the Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroder, following protests from the nuclear industry. Until yesterday, the government was expected to propose the phasing out of nuclear reprocessing to give the nuclear industry time to build suitable dumps for their waste close to power stations.
Britain and France threatened to sue for compensation if Bonn unilaterally cancelled any reprocessing contracts at Sellafield or its French equivalent, La Hague. The German government denied legal liability for any losses incurred by the reprocessing plants, but Bonn has now bowed to massive diplomatic pressure from its two most important European partners.
The power companies are not fighting the fundamental decision to pull out of nuclear power but argue that they need more time to build secure storage areas for waste and to develop new energy sources. Germany's 19 nuclear reactors supply more than 35 per cent of the country's energy needs, a greater proportion than any other form of energy.
Mr Trittin's new draft law would reduce the transport of spent fuel, which has inspired violent protests in Germany, usually supported by the Greens. It lays out plans for an "orderly and safe ending" of nuclear power, rules out permits for new nuclear plants and increases safety standards for existing power stations.
Mr Trittin's U-turn on reprocessing is a setback for the Greens. The environmentalist party hoped to see the first nuclear power stations closing within three years, but the nuclear industry appears to have slowed the pace of change.
Within the past month, the Greens have seen their two most important legislative initiatives weakened. Changes to Germany's citizenship law have been toned down following a conservative-led petition against allowing foreigners to hold two passports. And the plan to end nuclear power in Germany now appears more like a long-term aspiration.
The decision to abandon the reprocessing ban came as the Finance Minister, Mr Oskar Lafontaine, called on his cabinet colleagues to prepare new initiatives more thoroughly. The government has come under fire from the media for its numerous Uturns and internal divisions, which ministers put down to their haste in attempting to put Germany on a new course after 16 years of conservative rule.
