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Representatives of the world’s leading nuclear power plant exporting companies hold first review meeting for Principles of Conduct

Participants create a Secretariat and lay the groundwork for effective implementation

December 13, 2011—MOSCOW—The world’s leading civilian nuclear power plant vendors andthe Carnegie Endowment for International Peace have successfully concluded the firstimplementation review of the Nuclear Power Plant Exporters’ Principles of Conduct initiative,just three months after its launch.

In the meeting, the companies agreed to create a Secretariat to facilitate regular communication among the participating vendors between review meetings, facilitate communication with the general public, plan review meetings, collect updates on implementation issues, and operate as a depository and clearinghouse of information for theprocess. Participants at the two‐day meeting also reflected on the initial implementation of the Principles, including reactions to the public announcement, the companies’ individualimplementation experiences thus far, and the future course of this process.

Developed over three years, the Principles reflect a truly global initiative to promote bestpractices in the exportation of nuclear power plants, including to those countries with anemerging interest in developing civilian nuclear energy. The Carnegie Endowment, incollaboration with participating company Atomstroyexport, hosted the first review meetingDecember 7 and 8 at the Carnegie Moscow Center.

The companies agreed to hold periodic review meetings during which they would update eachother and the Secretariat on their progress in implementing the Principles, share and considerexisting and evolving industry best practices, and review and modify the Principles asappropriate. In addition to periodically reviewing the document and its implementation, thecompanies have also undertaken to expand their outreach efforts to other stakeholders in thenuclear energy sector with the aim of promoting similar norms of responsible conduct acrossthe industry.

The Secretariat will gradually assume responsibilities for the day‐to‐day coordination of theinitiative from the Carnegie Endowment, which facilitated the development of the initiative.

The Carnegie Endowment and all of the participating vendors expressed their deepappreciation for Atomstroyexport’s role in hosting the first review meeting.

“I am delighted that the vendors have begun the implementation process and have created aSecretariat that will work under the auspices of the Carnegie Endowment to coordinate thisprocess. We have facilitated the growth of this process from its infancy and it gives me greatpleasure to see it evolving,” said George Perkovich, vice president for studies at the CarnegieEndowment. At the request of the companies, the Carnegie Endowment will remain as anadvisor to the process moving forward.

The participants will conduct follow‐up review meetings periodically and will meet again in sixmonths, at which time more information on the structure and functions of the Secretariat willbe released.

Participating companies include:

  • AREVA
  • Atomstroyexport
  • Candu Energy
  • GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
  • Hitachi‐GE Nuclear Energy
  • Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)
  • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (including Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems, a subsidiary)
  • Toshiba
  • Westinghouse Electric Company
  • ATMEA (an AREVA‐Mitsubishi joint venture)

More information about the Nuclear Power Plant Exporters’ Principles of Conduct is available at www.nuclearprinciples.org.