Date:Tuesday 13th June. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO VOTE ON EMERGENCY RESOLUTION CONDEMNING FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTING

BRUSSELS, Tuesday June 13 - (GP) The European Parliament (EP) will vote Thursday on an emergency resolution condemning any resumption of nuclear testing by France.

After an appeal last week from the EP's "Intergroup on Peace and Disarmament," all political fractions decided to put the emergency resolution on the agenda of this weeks session in Strasbourg.

The resolution urges France to maintain its testing moratorium until a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), currently being discussed at the Geneva Conference on Disarmament, is agreed. It comes in response to France's Defence Minister Charles Millon welcoming a report by military experts last week recommending a resumption of nuclear tests at France's Moruroa atoll test site in the South Pacific.

Greenpeace's Eloi Glorieux said the resolution was a test of Europe's resolve to put pressure on France to make progress on nuclear disarmament.

"The non-nuclear members of the European Union effectively failed to challenge France and Britain on their failure to disarm during Non-Proliferation Treaty talks last month. They now have a responsibility to hold France accountable, and to send a message to President Chirac that testing is completely unacceptable," Glorieux said.

Today, Greenpeace's flagship the Rainbow Warrior departed from Auckland, New Zealand, for the Moruroa test site in an attempt to prevent any resumption of nuclear tests by France.

"A strong resolution from European parliamentarians to their colleagues will reinforce the message from the international community that France could shatter an historic opportunity to end nuclear testing forever if it decides to resume testing now," said Glorieux.

Governments from Latin America and the Pacific region have already lodged formally protest with France about a resumption of testing. President Chirac is to meet with President Clinton in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the testing issue.

For more information: Eloi Glorieux, Greenpeace Brussels: ++.32.2.280.19.87;

Penelope Komites, Ben Cramer, Greenpeace France: ++331 4770 4689;

Blair Palese, Greenpeace Communications: ++44171.833.0600

*Footage and photos of the Rainbow Warrior's departure available through Retuers TV, TVNZ and AFT photo desk.