Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and French President Nicolas Sarkozy signed a nuclear co-operation accord Tuesday as Italy took a first step toward returning to the use of atomic energy. The agreement covers research and waste treatment as well as the construction of nuclear power plants.
Officials of the Italian and French power companies ENEL and EDF were to sign a partnership accord to build four third-generation EPR reactors in Italy, according to a source close to the dossier. The Berlusconi government announced shortly after taking office in May 2008 that it would begin building nuclear power stations to solve the country's dependence on foreign oil and gas supplies.