IX. The Nuclear Energy Agency: Another Regional Ap- 

 proach to International Organization for Nuclear Energy 



Another indication of the impact of the discovery of fission upon 

 U.S. diplomacy is to be found in the creation of the Nuclear Energy 

 Agency (NEA) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 

 Development. With Euratom, NEA, and the International Atomic 

 Energy Agency all having functions of one kind or another relating 

 to nuclear power in Europe, it appears that diplomatic responses of 

 the United States and European governments have created a complex 

 web of interrelationships. While Euratom during its early years 

 enjoyed substantial financial support of the United States, NEA did 

 not attract equivalent support. The purpose of this section is to de- 

 scribe the origins, purposes and activities of the NEA, and to explore 

 the reasons for this difference. 



Origins of the Nuclear Energy Agency 



As was the case for Euratom, the initial impetus for the creation of 

 the NEA came from European fears of a fuel shortage. The then 

 Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OECC) re- 

 quested Louis Armand of France to survey the situation. Armand 

 was one of the "three wise men" who were so instrumental in the crea- 

 tion of Euratom and who had argued for Euratom as a way to ease 

 foreseen increases in costs and growing shortages of energy for the 

 economy of Europe. Armand's report to OEEC reflected this theme of 

 anticipated energy shortage, which was repeated in 1955 by a com- 

 mittee of experts led by Sir Harold Hartley. The latter committee 

 observed that Europe's energy deficit, which then amounted to about 

 20 percent of the energy used, was expected to exceed one-third of its 

 energy demand by the year 1975. These predictions led to two OEEC 

 responses: The promotion of an overall energy policy for member 

 nations: and the organization of joint European action to develop the 

 production and use of nuclear energy. The Nuclear Energy Agency 

 was the outcome of the latter. 



NEA Functions 



The Nuclear Energy Agency was established in 1957 by an inter-, 

 national statute which entered into force on February 1, 1958. NEA's 

 assigned objective is to " . . . further the development of the produc- 

 tion and uses of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes by the partic- 

 ipating countries." NEA's scientific and technological activities 

 include : 



(1) Promotion of nuclear technological developments; 



(2) Interchange of specialist knowledge and provision of 

 specialist information services ; and 



(3) Studies of reactor characteristics, fuel supplies, and other 

 factors affecting the future of nuclear power. 



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