Russia and the European Union will embark on a new round of negotiations to lift hidden quotas on Russia's nuclear exports in September 2008 during the Russia-EU summit, the head of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, said today. He reiterated that the two sides were currently negotiating a new cooperation agreement. In addition, the EU presidency is currently held by France, Europe's largest nuclear power producer and consumer. It's time to step up talks on the matter, Kiriyenko noted.
Limitations on nuclear materials from Russia have survived from the past, which does not match the market and the open trade rules proclaimed by the EU, Kiriyenko said, adding that they were of political nature. Such limitations apply as well to Eastern European countries that have recently joined the EU. Currently, nuclear supplies from Russia cannot exceed 20 percent of the total EU market, as stated in the Corfu Declaration which expired in late 2007.