Transatlantic Nuclear Energy Forum
Background
The Transatlantic Nuclear Energy Forum (TANEF) says it "aims to address key industry concerns and foster on-going strong relationships amongst nuclear energy companies and between the nuclear energy industry and governments, legislators and regulators based in the European Union and North America. [1]
Its Website is registered to Iain Malcolm the Chief Executive of the lobbying company Sovereign Strategy Ltd.
A Transatlantic Nuclear Lobbying Group
TANEF is governed by two political honorary chairs and two chairs from industry. One of each is from Europe and North America. The European Honoury Chair is Jack Cunningham, with his US Counterpart, Lindsey O. Graham, United States Senator for South Carolina. The Corporate chairs are Neville Chamberlain, Chairman, from URENCO Limited for Europe and John L. Hopkins, Group President, Government, Fluor Corporation for America [2]
In 2004, while still a Labour MP, TANEF paid for Cunningham to visit the US [3]. That year, Cunningham also wrote to senior nuclear executives asking them to join the forum. His letter, obtained by The Sunday Times, says: “Tanef was created to provide a setting for senior executive transatlantic business-to-business and business-to-government dialogue on key nuclear energy issues and concerns . . . Membership in Tanef is being offered by select invitation with membership dues of $50,000 annually.”
- Nuclear-power firms that have joined the forum include Fluor, Urenco, which makes enriched uranium, and British Nuclear Group, the waste management arm of BNFL.[4]
Notes
- ^ House of Commons, Register of Members' Interests, 2005.
- ^ Robert Winnett, Revealed: Minister's Links to Nuclear Lobby, Sunday Times, May 14, 2006