Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Model Nuclear Inventory 2007
Netherlands

Amount, Location, and Details of US Nuclear Weapons Deployment/Storage
Location and capability of nuclear facilities
Fissile material holdings
Nuclear activities
International non-proliferation efforts
Positions taken in international fora on various issues of disarmament

1. Amount, Location, and Details of US Nuclear Weapon Deployment/Storage

Nuclear Weapons Storage Sites
These levels have been consistent since 1986.
http://www.nrdc.org/nuclear/euro/euro.pdf

2. Location and Capability of Nuclear Facilities

The Netherlands does not actively promote nuclear energy, though it is involved in research activities. Nuclear policy is primarily regulated and influenced by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Its first nuclear reactor began operating in 1973, and currently generates about 4% of the country's energy.
http://www.antenna.nl/nukeatlas/atlas/nl.html
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf107.html

Power Reactors
Operational: 1
Shut down: 1
Decommissioned: 0
Planned: 0
http://www.iaea.or.at/programmes/a2/

Research Reactors
Operational: 3
Shut down: 0
Decommissioned: 2
Planned: 0
http://www.iaea.or.at/worldatom/rrdb/

The Netherlands planned to shut its sole nuclear power plant, Borssele, in 2013, but in January 2006 the government granted it a 20-year lifetime extension until 2033.
http://www.foratom.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=179&Itemid=1217

Uranium Enrichment and Reprocessing
Almelo, the lone enrichment facility in the Netherlands, is owned and operated by Urenco, a joint Dutch-German-British company. Reprocessing takes place elsewhere in the EU, namely France and the UK.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf107.html

3. Fissile Material Holdings

Separated Civil Plutonium end 2003
In country: 0
In other countries: 2-2.5 tons
Estimated by 2010: 3 tons
Estimated by 2015: 3.5 tons
Estimated by 2020: 4 tons
http://www.isis-online.org/global_stocks/end2003/plutonium_watch2005.pdf

Highly Enriched Uranium end 2003
In country: 0.73-0.81 tons
Supplied by: US
http://www.isis-online.org/global_stocks/end2003/civil_heu_watch2005.pdf

Radioactive waste disposal
The Dutch government’s radioactive waste policy was outlined in 1984. This policy had two main components, with a third added in 1993:
1) the storage of all radioactive wastes at one surface facility for the next 50 to 100 years;
2) the research into final disposal in deep geological formations;
3) final disposal must take place in such a way that waste is retrievable for a “lengthy” period of time.

Low- and intermediate-level waste: Central Organization for Radioactive Waste (COVRA) constructed and operates facilities for the treatment and storage of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes at Borsele.

High-level waste: COVRA is constructing a facility (HABOG) for the storage of high-level wastes at the same location. In the period from 1984 to 1993, in the framework of the Program for Disposal on Land (OPLA), research into final disposal focused on rock salt formations. A repository design was developed which was based upon deep vertical bore holes from the galleries. The principal conclusion of the OPLA program was that final disposal in rock salt was technically feasible. The government also recognizes that the technical and societal complexity of the waste disposal requires international cooperation.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf107.html

4. Nuclear Activities

Research Programs
AMOLF/FOM: Institute for Atomic & Molecular Physics
ECN: Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland
FELIX
FOM: Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie
Interfacultair Reactor Instituut
National Inst for Nuclear Physics
NWO: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek / Organization for Scientific Research
TNO: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek
http://www.radwaste.org/research.htm

Nuclear Cooperation
Most of Dutch nuclear cooperation goes through Urenco, a joint German-Dutch-British venture established in the early 1970s. Urenco works with the manufacture and marketing of centrifuges and associated pipe work; provision of technical design services in connection with the construction of uranium enrichment facilities; research into new enrichment technologies; and the manufacture of precisionengineered components for the aerospace industry in the Netherlands (Aerospace) and the manufacture of carbon fibre designed products in Germany (Composites).

Urenco operates the Almelo enrichment facility in Netherlands as well as Capenhurst in the UK and Gronau in Germany. http://www.urenco.com/index.php?id=202&pagename=Urenco+Group

Nuclear cooperation agreements exist between Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey to enable their national air forces to deliver US nuclear bombs in times of war.
http://www.nrdc.org/nuclear/euro/euro.pdf

5. International Non-proliferation Efforts

Treaties Signed and Ratified, date of deposit
Antarctic Treaty, 30 March 1967
APM Conventionm, 12 April 1999
Biological Weapons Convention, 10 April 1972
Certain Conventional Weapons Convention, 18 June 1987
Chemical Weapons Convention, 30 June 1995
Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, 23 March 1999
Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, 13 June 1980
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, 2 May 1975
Outer Space Treaty, 10 October 1969
Seabed Treaty, 14 January 1976
Treaty of Tlatelolco, 26 July 1971

Netherlands ratified the IAEA Additional Protocol on 30 April 2004.

Multilateral Groups
Australia Group
Conference on Disarmament
Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation
Missile Technology Control Regime
Nuclear Suppliers Group
Proliferation Security Initiative
Zangger Committee
Wassenaar Arrangement

6. Positions Taken in International Fora on Various Issues of Nuclear Disarmament

Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty: "An FMCT is one of the essential tools to tackle a number of issues related to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. As was agreed at the 2000 NPT Review Conference, an FMCT should take into consideration both aspects. The main purpose of such a Treaty is of course that no highly enriched uranium and plutonium is being produced anymore for use in nuclear weapons. This implies the ends of all military enrichments, processing and production activities. A second goal would be to enhance the safe storage and solid accounting of fissile material in order to prevent proliferation of nuclear material. Given the increased threats of non-state actors getting access to fissile materials, this in itself alone pleads for a swift commencement of negotiations and entry into force of an FMCT. To us, it seems even of vital importance. I may note that terrorism does not restrict itself to a limited part of the world. On the contrary, it is by now a global phenomenon. Therefore, it is in the interest of the entire global community, not just a handful of states, to start negotiations now." - Statement by H.E. Ambassador Johannes C. Landman to the Conference on Disarmament, 23 March 2006. http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches06/23MarchNetherlands.html

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: "Upholding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty remains of vital importance. If its balanced commitments start to unravel, global security will plummet. All elements of the NPT bargain are equally crucial. Proliferation in any form is unacceptable. Cooperation on the peaceful transfer of technology remains a confidence building measure as well as an obligation. And nuclear weapon states have to disarm. As Canadian Senator Douglas Roche, initiator of the Middle Powers Initiative, has said: '[Nuclear] deterrence as a permanent policy is not morally acceptable.'" - Statement by H.E. Ambassador Johannes C. Landman to the Sixty-First General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, 10 October 2006. http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/1com06/statements/Netherlandsoct10.doc

Nuclear Disarmament: "The Netherlands continues to consider the total elimination of nuclear arsenals as one of our most important objectives in the field of disarmament. As in the past we will continue to urge, for as long as it takes, the nuclear weapon states to to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear weapons. We shall go on demanding adherence by all States Parties to Article VI of the NPT..." - Statement by H.E. Ambassador Johannes C. Landman to the Conference on Disarmament, 28 February 2006. http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches06/28FebNetherlands.pdf