a062  0347  06 Jul 77
PM-Nuclear,390
    PARIS (AP) - France and West Germany have agreed to cooperate in the
development and sale of fast breeder nuclear reactors despite U.S.
opposition because such reactors produce plutonium that can be used
for nuclear bombs.
    The agreements were signed Tuesday after 2 1/2 years of negotiations
and research on the reactors, which will produce more atomic fuel than
they consume.
    President Carter has called for a worldwide delay in developing fast
breeder technology, saying the plants would turn out large quantities
of materials that might be used to make atomic bombs. Carter has
delayed construction of the first U.S. fast breeder reactor, the
$2-billion Clinch River reactor near Oak Ridge, Tenn.
    But French officials said last week that Europe has a lead over the
United States in the field and plans to hang onto it. The French
officials added that they were all for nuclear nonproliferation and
would take all measures necessary to make sure plutonium from the
plants isn't used for warheads.
    One agreement calls for the French Atomic Energy Agency, the West
German agency Interatom and the German nuclear research organization
at Karlsruhe to cooperate in developing the plants.
    A second agreement provides for establishment of a French-German
concern, known as Serena, which will have exclusive world rights to
sell and license the reactors.
    The French-German accord is expected to be discussed when Carter
meets in Washington with West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt on July
13-14. Schmidt leaves Bonn today for a seven-day visit to Canada
before going on to Washington.
    Both the Ford and Carter administrations tried without success to
get the West German government to cancel an agreement to sell Brazil,
as part of $4.8 billion nuclear power complex, a plant for the
reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The U.S. government is opposed to
the reprocessing plant because it produces plutonium as a byproduct.
    In a move to appease Washington and to improve the climate for
Schmidt's visit, the West German goverment said last week that it
would refrain ''for the time being'' from new deals to sell
reprocessing equipment. U.S. diplomats said their government regarded
this as ''a step in the right direction.''
    
0646aED 07-06
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