The Cherbourg Court of First Instance (Tribunal de Grande Instance, TGI) pronounced judgment on November 7 in the lawsuit brought by Greenpeace France against AREVA concerning the management of used fuel deliveries from the Dutch utility EPZ (Elektriciteits-Produktiemaatschappij Zuid-Nederland).
All of the association’s claims were dismissed. Greenpeace had lodged a complaint with the Cherbourg TGI on May 30, 2006 on the grounds that “the effect of AREVA’s practices is to increase the quantities of nuclear waste stored on French soil.”
The TGI held that “the petitions to return the used fuel originating in the Borssele plant and the uranium and plutonium arising from that fuel are groundless, as are those related to the return of technological waste, which, not coming from the used fuel, does not constitute waste imported from abroad.”
In addition, the court ruling indicates that “the claims for compensation by Greenpeace are also groundless, as AREVA NC committed no intentional tort”; moreover, “the other claims of the association concerning the transmission of sales agreements for plutonium and uranyl nitrate under penalty for delay are therefore irrelevant.”
The Court ordered Greenpeace to pay costs of proceedings and court costs related to enforcement procedures and actions.