KNOW-HOW TRANSFER AND SAFETY PARTNERSHIPS

It is only half a decade since the political map of the world changed profoundly. The tight borders between East and West gradually disappeared, thus permitting an increasingly more open exchange of information to develop. After the Iron Curtain had ceased to exist, impressions could be obtained of the energy supply structures in those countries. They confirmed the worst fears of the West, especially after Chernobyl. Only gradually does the whole extent of the shambles in this sector of the economy become evident. There seems to be no end as yet to the need for upgrading the nuclear power plants and modernizing the power economies in Eastern Europe. To some extent, this is due to the enormous cost involved, estimated by some to run into three-digit billion figures. It is due also to the persistently unsatisfactory market and reliable legal boundary conditions in Eastern Europe. Nevertheless, some progress is evident. Major contributions were made by German nuclear power plant operators, such as Bayernwerk, which is spending considerable amounts on its commitment in Eastern Europe.