European Commission: IAEA and EU discuss nuclear safety and security in Ukraine

The eighth EU-IAEA Senior Officials Meeting, which took place on 15 March in Vienna, brought together senior officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the EU to reaffirm their cooperation on nuclear activities and to further explore areas of cooperation, such as nuclear safety, security and safeguards.

Nuclear safety and security in Ukraine topped the agenda of this strategic meeting. EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament, Marjolijn van Deelen, conveyed the EU’s concern over the growing nuclear safety and security risks in Ukraine as a result of Russia’s military aggression, and reaffirmed the EU’s support to the IAEA’s initiative to ensure the safety and security of all nuclear facilitates in Ukraine.

Beyond safety and security, the role of nuclear power in accelerating the transition to carbon neutrality was discussed, as well as its contribution to decreasing the world’s dependency on hydrocarbons.

The EU offers key support to the IAEA’s nuclear security mandate. In 2021, the IAEA and the EU extended the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding on Nuclear Safety Cooperation, which supported the IAEA in delivering projects contributing to improving global nuclear safety. The Memorandum is currently being revised by both parties, and it is expected to be signed on the margins of the IAEA’s General Conference 2022.