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Germany

German Government Creates Legal Framework To Export Nuclear Waste

SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG(Germany)

Worldcrunch

Süddeutsche Zeitung has seen the draft of an amendment to German legislation that would for the first time legalize exporting German nuclear waste. While the change would impose tight conditions on such transfers and official agreements with the countries providing disposal sites, environmentalists are equating the amendment to a “burst dam.”

The German Ministry of the Environment stated that the federal government had no plans to dispose of nuclear waste abroad, and that the revision corresponded to adapting the 2011 EU "Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management Directive" into German law.

Environmentalists, however, question this. In a position statement, German environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe said that the proposed change "doesn’t reflect the priority given in the directive to stocking radioactive waste domestically" – rather, it treats disposal abroad as an equally viable option.

Wolfgang Ehmke of the Anti-Gorleben-Vereinigung Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz (an association that opposes creating a radioactive waste disposal site in Gorleben, Germany) said: "The transfer of radioactive waste is being legalized. The dam has burst."

Environmentalist groups have until January 4 to communicate their views on the draft to the Ministry of the Environment, which has refused them an extended deadline. The EU directive must be implementable by the end of August 2013.

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Geopolitics

China's Military Intentions Are Clear — And Arming Taiwan Is The Only Deterrence

China is spending more money on weapons and defense than ever. The reason is evident: Xi Jinping wants to take Taiwan. Europe should follow the U.S. and support Taipei militarily as the only way to deter Beijing from war.

Photo of Military drills in Taiwan amid rising China-U.S. Tensions

Taiwanese soldiers stand guard at a base during a military drill simulating defense operations against a possible Chinese PLA intrusion

Gregor Schwung

-OpEd-

BERLIN — Fear is never the best advisor.

It is, however, an understandable emotion when China announces the biggest increase in its defense budget in memory. And when Beijing does so after siding with Russia in the Ukraine war with its supposed "peace plan" and justifying the increase with an alleged "escalating oppression" of China in the world.

The budget plan unveiled by outgoing Premier Li Keqiang calls for a 7.2% increase in defense spending. That's more than in previous years — and just the official figure.

Experts estimate the true spending is much higher, as Beijing finances its military through numerous shadow budgets.

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