EVEN as the us pushes itself forward as the patron-in-chief of the nuclear non- proliferation camp, it is going steadily ahead with its nuclear trade transactions. It recently signed a revised treaty with the European Union on the trading of us-origin nuclear fuel, reactors and important reactor parts.

The treaty had run Into trouble as us law allowed only bilateral treaties with client countries. it is a follow-up of a 1960 accord which expires in December 1"S, and which needed to be ratified. Now the differences have been sorted out, although the ratification has come 2 months too late. There will be a legal void in the first 2 months of next year when the previous accord lapses and the new one is yet to come into effect.

'There will be no agreement in place and trans-Atlantic nuclear trade will be blocked," say sources in trussels. However, trade in smaller parts of reactors and safety materials is unlikely to be affected through the period of likely treaty lapse.