EU confirms commitment to the strengthening of nuclear safeguards
The European Commission and the European Union (EU) Member States have started negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on three additional nuclear safeguards protocols. These protocols are designed to improve the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and to increase security world-wide. European Commission Vice-President, Sir Leon Brittan, and Commissioners Christos Papoutsis, responsible for the Euratom Supply Agency, and Hans van den Broek, responsible for External Relations, welcomed these negotiations as a further demonstration of the European Union's will and commitment to the prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation, as well as an important example to other IAEA Member States which are called on to rapidly follow suit. The three additional protocols include one for the 13 non-nuclear weapon Member States, one for France and one for the United Kingdom. France and the United Kingdom, as nuclear weapon States, are submitted to a different nuclear safeguards regime.