Safeguards aspects of multinational facilities

To take account of the many and varied economic, ecological and sociological requirements, particular mechanisms for cooperation must be applied so that a transfer of nuclear energy from the industrialized countries to the developing countries is facilitated. In this context aspects of non-proliferation and supply assurance attain a special significance. A possible interaction with safeguards in a multinational facility should be analysed, particularly the way in which by implementing INFCIRC/153, section 81 by a type of internal control on the basis of ''interrelation with other states'' inspection effort and expense could be reduced in such a facility and thus a multinational facility could be given a safeguards credit. Previous studies, particularly by the IAEA within the framework of the study on ''Regional Nuclear Fuel Cycle Centres'' as well as at the INFCE, have not taken this aspect of a safeguards credit into consideration but have rather regarded the multinationalization or internationalization of the fuel cycle as an additive measure. With respect to the uses of nuclear energy in industrially developing countries, a phased plan is suggested for the development of international cooperation. A typical feature is that each form of cooperation is subject to the national legislation of the host country in question. The results presented here cannot be regarded as final conclusions but rather as an initial approach by means of which possible interdependences between various countries and their interaction with the effectiveness of safeguards can be qualitatively represented. (author)