Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Council of Foreign Ministers, Volume II

C.F.M. Files: Lot M–88: Box 2065: Deputies Documents

Report by the Sub-Committee of Hydro-Electric Experts on Existing Power Supplies in Tenda–Briga District⁴⁴

secret
C.F.M.(D) (46) 163

Paris, 11 June, 1946.

On May 28th, 1946, the Deputies of the Foreign Ministers decided at their 55th Meeting to set up a Sub-Committee of Hydro-electric Experts on existing power supplies in Tenda–Briga district.

The Deputies gave the following instructions to the Sub-Committee:

“In the event of the whole district affected by Rectification No. 4 being awarded to France, to consider what precise technical guarantees, the general nature of which has been laid down in paragraph 3 (b) and (c) of Part VI of the Report of the Commission, should be given by France to Italy in order that the latter should not suffer any diminution of her existing supplies of electrical power.”

Having regard to the reference to paragraph 3 of Part VI of the Report of the Commission of the Upper Roya (C.F.M.(46) 56)⁴⁵ it is desirable here to record the whole of that paragraph which reads as follows:—

“3. Hydro-electric power in the area

For the present Italy can make the most efficient use of the electric power generated in the Tenda–Briga area.

France could also use this power efficiently if the French Government were to carry out their plans for the construction of a high tension line from Breil to Toulon (a distance of about 150 kilometers).

Whether the border is changed or not, certain French and Italian interests which are already in existence should be preserved.

(a) If there is no alteration in the present boundary the French hydro-electric interest supplying the Sospel, Menton and Nice areas should be permitted to continue to draw power from the Italian plants of the Upper Roya until the reconstruction of the wrecked plants at Breil and Fontan.

(b) If the Tenda–Briga area is ceded to France, the Italian railways should be permitted to continue to draw on the two 16 cycle generators of the San Dalmazzo plant which have consistently been reserved for the requirements of the Italian railways.

Electricity generated in the area over and above the French and Italian requirements set out in (a) and (b) above should also be made available to Italy.

All allocations of power to Italy should be for a reasonable period to be decided by negotiations between France and Italy. In these negotiations due account should be taken of the time which Italy would require to develop alternative sources of hydro-electric power without serious disruption of her economy.

(c) All international sales of power as contemplated above should be effected at the prevailing price for similar quantities of a like kind of current in the producing country.

Whatever the solution of the frontier question in the Upper Roya valley, it is the belief of the Commission that a more complete and equitable utilisation of the waters of the Roya would be achieved, if the French and Italian interests concerned were to devote themselves to the development of a co-ordinated plan for the mutual exploitation of the water power resources at their disposal.”

Guided by the premise that Italy should not suffer any diminution of her existing supplies of electrical power in the event of the transfer of the power stations in the Tenda-Briga district to France, the Sub-Committee of Experts considers that the following technical guarantees should be given by France to Italy.

1. Guarantees to ensure to Italy the supply of electricity generated by the two 16⅔ period generators of the hydro-electric plant at San Dalmazzo; and the supply of electricity generated at 50 periods at the hydro-electric plants at Le Mesce, San Dalmazzo and Confine in excess of such part thereof as may be required by France for supply to the Sospel, Menton and Nice areas until the complete reconstruction of the wrecked hydro-electric plants at Breil and Fontan, it being understood that that part will be in decreasing amount, as reconstruction of these plants proceeds, that the amount will not exceed 5,000 KW in power and 3,000,000 KWH per month and that if no special difficulties are encountered in the reconstruction, the work should be completed not later than the end of 1947.

(a) France shall operate the said plants so as to generate (subject to such limitations as may be imposed by the water available and taking into account as far as reasonably practicable the needs of the plants downstream) such quantities of electricity at such rates of output as Italy may require, firstly, at 16⅔ cycles for the Italian railways in Liguria and South Piedmont, and secondly, at 50 cycles for general purposes, after the requirements by France for Sospel, Menton and Nice, as aforesaid, and of the local requirements in the vicinity of San Dalmazzo, have been met.

(b) France shall repair and maintain in good and substantial condition and, as may be necessary, shall renew all the works comprising the Le Mesce, San Dalmazzo and Confine hydro-electric plants together with the transmission lines and equipment from the Le Mesce and Confine plants to the San Dalmazzo plant and also the main transmission lines and equipment from the San Dalmazzo plants to the Franco-Italian boundary.

(c) France shall inform Italy, as and when required by Italy, of the river flow of water at Le Mesce and Confine and of the amount of water stored at San Dalmazzo and of any other information pertaining thereto so as to enable Italy to determine her electricity requirements as aforesaid (inparagraph (a))

(d) France shall transmit over the main transmission lines from San Dalmazzo to the Franco-Italian boundary the electricity required by Italy as aforesaid, and shall deliver that electricity to Italy at the points at which those main transmission lines cross the Franco-Italian boundary into Italian territory.

(e) France shall maintain the voltage and periodicity of the electricity supplied as aforesaid at such values as Italy may reasonably require.

(f) France shall arrange with Italy for telephone communication between San Dalmazzo and Italy and shall communicate with Italy in order to ensure that the said hydro-electric plants and transmission lines are operated in such a manner as to comply with the foregoing guarantees.

2. Guarantee concerning the price to be charged by France to Italy for the electricity available to Italy under guarantee 1 until terminated in accordance with guarantee 3.

The price to be charged by France and paid by Italy for the electricity available to Italy from the Le Mesce, San Dalmazzo and Confine hydro-electric plants (after the requirements by France for Sospel, Menton and Nice and the local requirements in the vicinity of San Dalmazzo have been met as provided in guarantee 1 (a)) shall be the same as the price charged in France for the supply of similar quantities of hydro-electricity in French territory in the neighbourhood of the Upper Roya Valley or in other regions where conditions are comparable.

3. Guarantee of a reasonable period of time for the supply of the electricity by France to Italy.

Unless otherwise mutually agreed between France and Italy, the guarantees 1 and 2 shall remain in force until 31 December, 1961 and shall terminate then or on any subsequent 31 December if either country shall have given to the other at least two years’ notice in writing of its intention to terminate. (The French Expert suggests that the date of “31st December, 1950” be substituted for the date “31st December, 1961” adopted by the other three Experts.)

4. Guarantee of full and equitable utilization by France and Italy of the waters of the Roya and its tributaries for hydro-electricity production.

(a) France shall operate the hydro-electric plants in the French territory of the Roya, taking into account as far as reasonably practicable the needs of the plants downstream. France shall inform Italy in advance of the amount of water which it is expected will be available each day, and shall furnish any other information pertaining: thereto.

(b) Through bilateral negotiations France and Italy shall develop a mutually agreeable, co-ordinate plan for the exploitation of the water resources of the Roya. A commission or such other instrumentality as may be agreed shall be established to supervise the carrying out of this plan and to facilitate the execution of the foregoing guarantees 1–4.

Conclusion

The foregoing report of the Sub-Committee of Hydro-electric Experts on the Tenda–Briga district was unanimously agreed (with the single reservation, by the French Expert, referred to in guarantee 3) by the Sub-Committee on June 11, 1946 and is hereby respectfully submitted to the Deputies, together with the minutes of the last meeting (9th) of the Sub-Committee.

44. This Report was approved by the Deputies at their 72nd Meeting, June 13, 1946. The Report was discussed by the Council of Foreign Ministers at its 24th, 25th, and 28th Meetings, June 24, 24, and 27, respectively. For the United States Delegation Records and the Records of Decision of those meetings, see pp. 588–598, 601–613, and 648–664.
45. Ante, p. 353.