Regulation 2021/948 - European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation complementing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Global Europe on the basis of the Treaty establishing Euratom - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 209/79

The Union should uphold and promote its values and interests worldwide in order to pursue the objectives and principles of the Union’s external actions, as laid down in Article 3(5) and Articles 8 and 21 of the Treaty on European Union.

In order to implement the new international framework established by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy, and the European Consensus on Development, Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) aims to increase the coherence and ensure the effectiveness of the Union’s external action by concentrating its efforts through a streamlined instrument to improve the implementation of the different external action policies.

The objective of the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation (the ‘Instrument’), which complements the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe established by Regulation (EU) 2021/947, should be the promotion of a high level of nuclear safety, radiation protection, and the application of efficient and effective safeguards of nuclear materials in third countries, building on the activities within the European Atomic Energy Community (Community). Within this objective, this Regulation aims to support the promotion of transparency in nuclear-related decision-making processes of the authorities in third countries.

The Instrument should be established for a period of seven years to align its duration with that of the multiannual financial framework laid down in Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 (3).

This Regulation forms part of the framework devised for the planning of cooperation and should complement those nuclear cooperation measures that are financed under Regulation (EU) 2021/947.

The Member States of the Union are Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons signed on 1 July 1968 and apply the Additional Protocol to their respective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards agreements.

In order to maintain and promote the continuous improvement of nuclear safety and the regulation thereof, the Council adopted Directives 2009/71/Euratom (4), 2011/70/Euratom (5) and 2013/59/Euratom (6). Those Directives and the high standard of nuclear safety and radioactive waste and spent fuel management implemented in the Community are examples to be used in order to encourage third countries to adopt similar high standards.

The Community and its Member States are Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety adopted on 17 June 1994 and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management adopted on 5 September 1997.

The Community should continue its close cooperation with IAEA in accordance with Chapter 10 of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (‘the Euratom Treaty’) as regards...