167 



The term of each of the first bilateral agreements was 10 years. 



By l ( .>r>7. advancing technology of nuclear power led several Euro- 

 pean countries to the initiation of negotiations with the United States 

 for the transfer of large quantities of nuclear fuel for specific power 

 projects. Such arrangements were requested by the governments of 

 France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, and the Union of 

 South Africa. Subsequent bilateral agreements with the European 

 nations were considered as interim measures pending the establish- 

 ment of the Euratom Supply Agency. 



A decade later, nuclear power was so far advanced in Europe that 

 availability of nuclear fuel to cover long-term requirements for nu- 

 clear power programs became a subject for negotiation. New bilateral 

 power agreements were negotiated which committed the United States 

 to supply nuclear fuel over a term of 30 years to Switzerland and 

 Sweden, and for 10 years to the United Kingdom. These agreements 

 also reflected an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act in 1064 76 

 which permitted private ownership of nuclear fuel materials, opening 

 the way for wholly commercial transactions between companies in the 

 U.S. nuclear industry and customers abroad in countries having bi- 

 lateral agreements with the United States. These new agreements also 

 specified that the IAEA would promptly be requested to assume re- 

 sponsibility for applying safeguards to the material transferred under 

 agreements. In addition, the agreements committed the United States 

 to supply nuclear fuel materials to these governments, or to enrich 

 uranium supplied by them. 7? 



The Bilateral Agreement Situation in 1971 



At the end of 1971, the AEC had in effect 34 Agreements for Coop- 

 eration in Civil Uses of Atomic Energy between the United States 

 and other nations or groups of nations. These agreements covered co- 

 operation and technical assistance in the development of peaceful uses 

 of atomic energy, and provided for the supply of nuclear materials, 

 the exchange of scientific and technical information, and for the safe- 

 guarding of U.S.-supplied nuclear materials. Table II listing these 

 agreements as of 1970 is the latest list published by the AEC. 



■« Public Law 88-489, 78 Stat. 602. 



77 U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Major Activities in the Atomic Energy Programs, 

 January-December 1966 (Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967), 

 p. 263. 



