Significance explanation of the joint session Mr. Amano (Secretary General of RRTD)

1. Purpose of　the joint session (ANS FCWMD, BNFL, CEA of 6 divisions in AESJ)

To invite guests from Fuel Cycle and Waste Management section of American Nuclear Society (FCWM/ANS), Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique in France (CEA) and British Nuclear Fuel plc (BNFL) in order to make discussions on nuclear fuel cycle from the aspects of culture to deepen mutual understandings.

It is also necessary to have a number of discussions from the aspects of culture as well as technology. Such discussion has just begun in Japan and time has come to discuss with US, French and British people of nuclear developed countries to understand, from both cultural and technological aspects, what are the current focus in what direction, what are the restricting factor and what are the necessary breakthrough.

So we have the seminar titled “learning mutual culture, philosophy, historical background and challenging spirit for the purpose of international alliance and nuclear renaissance at Kobe city where it was revived from the earthquake” which is co-sponsored by RRTD (Reprocessing and Recycle Div.)NUCE (Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle & Environment) NFTD (Division of Nuclear Fuel.) SETD (Society and Environment Technology Div.) YGN (Young Generation Network) Foreign Professional Societies Coordinating Committee section at Kobe University of Mercantile Marine.

The separate meetings were held with BNFL, CEA・COGEMA FCWM/ANS respectively during September 11 to 12th when GLOBAL2001 took place in Paris and multi-terrorist attacks horrified international community. Those meetings resulted in the agreement to organize information exchange meeting with the following points taken into consideration:

・ introduction of current activity of each organization

・ acquirement of public trust on reprocessing area etc.

・ education of personnel

・ others

It would be much desirable to have a bit broader discussions in this workshop through the discussions on restricting factors in the current world community, such as the problems of nuclear waste (how this problem is recognized and how it will be handled).

2. Theme: Culture and technology in nuclear recycling

(1) Status change from nuclear dawn age to present age in your country

(2) History; good and bad points in the past　in your country (return our 50 years of nuclear history)

(3) Needs for energy and nuclear industry; environment, resource, waste, cost, etc.

(4) How is the way or how to think against terrorism

3. Points for discussion (draft proposal)

(1) Ideal feature of future nuclear fuel cycle including waste disposal

(2) Fuel cycle and waste disposal in electric power liberation

(3) Role and problem of Society Divisions, experience and reflection of global and cultural information exchange

(4) How to make development and international cooperation from research seeds

(5) Reactors suitable for fuel cycle and other suitable conditions

(6) How to get public trust

(7) What to do and what to avoid for better future environment

(8) Study of failure experience and preparation of study place by Society Divisions

(9) How to rear capable young engineers/scientists

(10) Responsibility of related organizations such as electric power companies, makers, institutes, universities

(11) Risk management of cycle facilities for rational regulations

The memorandum for information exchange was concluded with FCWM/ANS on 1^st of November 2001 and information exchange was launched, which resulted in the workshop this time in Japan. In the future we hope to make a contribution to dispatch our member from Japan mainly to United States where the international meetings will be organized or sponsored by FCWM/ANS. Specifically, we are currently planning to allocate our member to participate in Spectrum meeting in August, Topical meeting in September and annual meeting in November in order to make technical presentation and have a opinion exchange with FCWM/ANS.

We also appreciate CEA・COGEMA and BNFL who participated in and supported winter seminar held at Tokai on 29 and 30th of November last year which followed the agreement for the information exchange reached during GLOBAL 2001 last September.

This workshop is our first trial and you may find something inconvenient for the operation of it or the aspects of subjects. We strongly hope that you will be patient enough for it with positive attitudes which may deliver the fruitful results in the workshop no matter how it is not substantial at the moment.