Cooperation with Non-EU Member Countries on nuclear safety

The European Union (EU) provides financial aid to Non-EU Member Countries with a view to ensuring nuclear safety in these countries. This funding programme covers the period 2007-13.

ACT

Regulation (Euratom) No 300/2007 of 19 February 2007 establishing an Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation.

SUMMARY

This Regulation establishes a framework for funding measures aimed at providing a high level of nuclear safety and radiological protection, as well as the implementation of effective and efficient safety controls in Non-EU Member Countries. This financial framework covers the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013 and involves a sum of 524 million for the whole of this period.

The Regulation provides financial support for measures for improving nuclear safety, particularly in terms of regulatory framework or management of nuclear plant safety (design, operation, maintenance, decommissioning), the safe transport, treatment and disposal of radioactive waste, remediation of former nuclear sites, protection against ionising radiation given off by radioactive materials, accident prevention and reaction in the event of an accident, or also the promotion of international cooperation.

The financing may take the form of, among other things, projects or programmes, grants to fund measures, contributions to guarantee funds and national or international funds, or even human or material resources. Furthermore, the action financed may be either entirely funded by the EU or cofinanced with one or more partners.

The assistance is implemented on the basis of multiannual strategy papers adopted by the Commission. These papers cover one or more countries for a maximum of seven years and are restricted to the scope of this Regulation. They contain multiannual indicative programmes which specify in particular the key objectives and indicative financial allocations. On the basis of these documents, the Commission adopts action programmes, generally lasting a year, which set out specific details concerning the implementation of the assistance.

Certain measures may be adopted which are not included in the programming documents: these are special measures, adopted by the Commission in an emergency, and support measures, which include, for example, technical or administrative assistance.

Assistance may be granted to, amongst others, partner countries and regions, their decentralised bodies, public and parastatal bodies, private companies, non-state actors such as non-governmental organisations or professional associations, natural persons, the Joint Research Centre or EU agencies, international organisations, and financial institutions.

Participation in the award of procurement or grant contracts is, in principle, limited to natural persons or legal entities respectively, who are nationals of or established in a Member State, a country that is a beneficiary of this cooperation instrument, the pre-accession instrument or the neighbourhood instrument, or a Member State of the European Economic Area. Participation is also open to natural persons or legal entities from countries which have granted reciprocal access to their external assistance.

The measures financed by way of this Regulation are subject to EU financial regulation and the rules on protection of the EU's financial interests.

The Commission regularly evaluates the results of the policies and programmes, along with the effectiveness of the programming, and submits to the European Parliament and to the Council an annual report on the implementation of assistance granted under this Regulation.

The Regulation is subsequent to Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 99/2000 relating to the TACIS programme, Council Decision 98/381/EC, Euratom and Council Decision 2001/824/EC, Euratom. This financing instrument also complements other third country support instruments.

RELATED ACTS

Commission Decision of 8 August 2007 approving the Nuclear Safety Strategy 2007-2013 for Community Cooperation Programmes and Indicative Programme 2007-2009 [C(2007) 3758].

Regulation (EC) No 1717/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing an Instrument for Stability [Official Journal L 327, 24/11/2006]. The instrument for stability has been established to grant financial aid during the period 2007-2013 to actions ensuring stable conditions for human and economic development, and the promotion of human rights, democracy and fundamental freedoms within the framework of the EU's external relations policy.

Commission Decision 2005/510/Euratom of 14 June 2005 concerning the accession of the European Atomic Energy Community to the "Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management" [Official Journal L 185, 16/7/2005].

Commission Decision 1999/819/Euratom of 16 November 1999 concerning the accession to the 1994 Convention on Nuclear Safety by the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) [Official Journal L 318, 11/12/1999].

See also

Further information can be found on the European Commission's nuclear safety website.

Last updated: 19.09.2007