Euratom-Canada cooperation in nuclear research The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and Canada recently signed a Cooperation Agreement in the area of nuclear research, for which the Commission has put forward a proposal for its conclusion, on behalf of Euratom, by the Council of Ministers. The draft agreement is ... The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and Canada recently signed a Cooperation Agreement in the area of nuclear research, for which the Commission has put forward a proposal for its conclusion, on behalf of Euratom, by the Council of Ministers. The draft agreement is based on the principles of mutual benefit, reciprocal opportunities for access to each other's programmes and activities, non-discrimination, and the effective protection of intellectual property and equitable sharing of intellectual property rights. The Agreement lays down the areas where cooperative activities may be pursued. These include the fields of nuclear safeguards, radiation protection, controlled nuclear fusion and radioactive waste management, including disposal. The cooperative activities foreseen in the proposal are also detailed, and include: - Participation in each other's research projects, as well as the implementation of agreed multilateral projects; - Shared use of research facilities; - Specific bilateral research facilities; - Exchange and provision of information and data; - Visits and exchanges of scientists and engineers and other relevant parties; - Exchange of reference materials, samples, fuels and equipment and instrumentation. The proposal also provides for the administration of the Agreement through a Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) which would be composed of representatives from both the EU and Canada. Tasks to be carried out by the JSTCC would include the promotion and review of activities to be carried out under the Agreement, advising the Parties, provision of an annual report, as well as reviewing the efficient and effective functioning of the Agreement.
