Nuclear materials: EU updates rules for a better supervisory system
Today, the Council signed off on a revised regulation on the application of Euratom safeguards, the nuclear materials supervision system within the Euratom Community which guarantees the peaceful use of nuclear materials. The new rules aim to simplify Euratom safeguards and align them with technological progress.
The regulation on the application of Euratom safeguards lays down the specific information to be declared to the Commission by users of nuclear materials, as well as the records that operators are obliged to keep. These measures allow the Commission to verify that nuclear materials are not diverted from their intended use.
An in-depth evaluation in 2022 highlighted the need for a targeted revision of the regulation, since its effectiveness has gradually decreased, largely due to technological progress and to developments in the nuclear sector.
The key changes introduced by this targeted revision are limited in scope and focus on the following:
- Clarification, simplification and reduction of the administrative burden, including a more graded approach to reporting requirements based on the strategic value of materials, rules on installations holding small amounts of nuclear materials and on electronic reporting
- Alignment with technological progress and developments in the nuclear sector, such as introducing nuclear safeguarding measures early on in the planning and design of installations (safeguards-by-design), and rules on the disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste
Next steps
The new rules will enter into force 20 days after the publication of the regulation in the Official Journal of the EU and will be directly applicable in all member states. The Commission will prepare guidelines to help operators comply with their obligations under the new rules and will evaluate their application 10 years after their entry into force.
Background
The Treaty on the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), in force since 1958, establishes a system for supervising the peaceful use of nuclear materials intended for civilian use (Euratom safeguards). In accordance with its provisions, the Commission must ensure that civilian nuclear materials are not diverted from their intended uses.
On 21 December 2023, the Commission submitted a proposal for a Council decision approving a Commission regulation (Euratom) on the application of Euratom safeguards, as provided for in Euratom’s rules. After extensive discussions, the Council reached a political agreement on 24 June 2024, followed by the legal and linguistic review of the rules and today’s formal adoption, which marks the end of the procedure.
