Safeguards and non-proliferation in the EU: Reflections on 40 years of EURATOM safeguards and some thoughts concerning future developments

The Rome Treaties (EEC and EURATOM) came into force nearly forty years ago and EURATOM was established to contribute to the raising of living standards by creating the conditions necessary for the speedy establishment and growth of nuclear industries. Since then, the Commission has carried out safeguards in an initial Community of six which has now expanded to a European Union (E.U.) with fifteen Member States. This experience of successive enlargements will be invaluable in the context of the expected further enlargements of the Union in the short and medium term. At the outset, the nuclear issue was considered a major challenge and opportunity for Europe. The experience of EURATOM, which now comprises two nuclear-weapon States and thirteen non-nuclear-weapon States, confirm that stable legal commitments and transparency of peaceful nuclear activities are pivotal conditions for developing confidence among Member States, as well as with the many third countries which have trading relations with the E.U. in the nuclear area. These goals are realized in two ways. Firstly, EURATOM's many peaceful nuclear co-operation activities, ranging from its nominal ownership of fissile material to industrial joint ventures or relations with third countries, all of which work to the common benefit of the Member States, at the same time providing the necessary transparency on nuclear activities. Secondly, its safeguards system integrated in European law and operated independently works closely with the International Atomic Agency(IAEA) under Safeguards Agreements, and covers the whole of the civil nuclear fuel cycle in the Community. The EURATOM Treaty has proved to be a powerful instrument which furthers non-proliferation. In addition to the support given to the multilateral nuclear non-proliferation regime, EURATOM has also concluded several important nuclear cooperation agreements with key nuclear trading partners (such as Australia, Canada or the USA). (author)