atw 2015-01

atw Vol. 60 (2015) | Issue 1 ı January
The Federal Republic of Germany and
the International Cooperation
in the Nuclear Field
Franz Josef Strauß
The questions of international cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes arise the increasing
interest of all political and economic interested parties of our nation. This rising sympathy reflects the awareness,
that due to the fast development of nuclear energy, in detail a hardly assessable process, a new technical revolution
is in the offing which for the further economic development of the European states and not least our country itself
will be in view of the current inferior position in comparison to the leading nuclear powers, of paramount importance.
By all necessity of catching up the scientific and technical development at national level, the conviction is more
and more confirmed that joint efforts both in the European and global area are necessary to make full use of the tremendous
possibilities of nuclear energy for peaceful progress.
60 TH YEAR ATW 51
It is appropriate and valuable, already for determining
the own point of view for the further participation in international
cooperation within the nuclear field, to gain
from time to time an overview and to take stock on existing
organisation as well as different projects and plans.
For this purpose the following lines are intended, without
demanding completeness in all details. I may initially pay
attention to the entirely or predominant economic committees
for cooperation followed by bilateral and multilateral
facts and projects.
Scientific organisations
1. CERN
On 1 July 1953, in a purely scientific field, with little attention
paid by the public, twelve west and southern
European countries, amongst them the Federal Republic
of Germany, joint together in Paris the so-called “European
Organization for Nuclear Research“ (CERN). The organisation
especially wants to serve basic research. For
this purpose she built an international laboratory for research
in the field of highly accelerated particles including
cosmic radiation in Meyrin Geneva. The laboratory
comprises apart from its respective buildings, equipment
etc. a synchrocyclotron with a proton acceleration capacity
of approx. 600 billion electron volts, which currently
is being constructed.
In addition, the construction of a high performance
proton synchrotron is planned, which should be commissioned
in 1960. Beside the construction and operation of
these installations, CERN wants to serve international scientific
cooperation in the nuclear field through the exchange
of scientists, training of researchers, dissemination
of information and cooperation with national research
institutions. In order to throw light on the activities
of CERN at a practical example, it shall be indicated,
that a symposium about high-energy physics will take
place in Geneva in June this year, to which approximately
200 nuclear scientists from different countries, among
them as well leading German experts, will attend.
Besides a representation within the organisation of
CERN and an objective and personal participation
through constant transfer of researchers as well as financing
the organisation, the Federal Republic of Germany is
behind Great Britain and France in third place. At present
she bears approximately 18 % of the overall costs. The
contribution scheme of each member will be determined
as of 1957 based on the net public income.
2. European Atomic Energy Society
The “European Atomic Energy Society“ (Europäische Atomenergie-Gesellschaft)
serves research as well as the practical
use and utilization of nuclear energy for friendly
purposes. She was established on 15 June 1954. Currently
besides the Federal Republic of Germany, who
joint the society in February 1956, countries such as
Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Norway,
the Netherlands and Switzerland belong to her.
The member states are represented by their supreme
national atomic energy agencies. The society’s object is
especially in the context of the loose merger of a scientific
union the exchange and dissemination of scientific information,
the standardisation of technical terms, the
promotion of safety measures for the population, the
publication of scientific papers and as far as possible the
publication of an international journal with regards to
nuclear science.
She especially defines her duty in the promotion of direct
exchange of ideas between scientists, and engineers
through regular conferences and meetings in different
member states. As an example for the work of the society
the recent conference of rector scientists and practitioner
in Naples should be pointed out, to which also decisive
German personalities in this area were represented. Furthermore
this year, symposiums with regards to questions
of disposal of nuclear waste, the chemical processing of
enriched fuels as well as metallurgical issues and theoretical
nuclear physics are intended.
The Federal Ministry for Nuclear Affairs tries to delegate
on a regular basis all respective experts from the field
of science, economy as well as from the ministry itself to
the conventions of those institutions, which achieved and
contributed with valuable results. Professor Heisenberg
represents the Federal Republic of Germany within the
permanent council, within the permanent working group
she is represented by several members from different scientific
areas. The chairmanship of the council holds the
President of the British Atomic Energy Research Establishment,
Sir John Cockcroit. A permanent financial contribution
by all members is not intended. They burden their
participations costs at the councils meetings and conventions
themselves.
English translation of
the original text
published in:
die atomwirtschaft
Vol. I
Issue 6
June 1956
60 th year atw
The Federal Republic of Germany and the International Cooperation in the Nuclear Field ı Franz Josef Strauß