PURPOSE: to establish a European instrument for nuclear safety complementing the neighbourhood, development and international cooperation instrument on the basis of the Euratom Treaty for the period 2021-2027.
PROPOSED ACT: Council Regulation.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council adopts the act after consulting the European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its opinion.
BACKGROUND: the non-proliferation regime, which has been challenged in recent years, calls for a continuous support to strengthen the international framework to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Under different association and partnership agreement (e.g. with Ukraine), the Union has committed to support the concerned countries in adopting in their national legislation the acquis communautaire, including nuclear safeguards.
Under the multiannual financial framework 2014-2020, a financing instrument which will expire on 31 December 2020 was dedicated to the promotion of a high level of nuclear safety.
Under the 2014-2020 multi-annual financial framework, the Commission proposed to streamline the Union's external action instruments into a broad instrument called the neighbourhood, development and international cooperation instrument (NDICI). The proposed new European instrument shall complement this framework with activities to promote the establishment of effective nuclear safety standards in third countries, building on the experience of nuclear safety operations within the Euratom Community.
The objective of the new European instrument for nuclear safety is to promote the establishment of effective and efficient nuclear safety standards in third countries in accordance with Article 203 of Euratom Treaty, building on the experience of nuclear safety activities within the Euratom Community.
CONTENT: the proposal for a Regulation - presented for a Union of 27 Member States - seeks to establish the European instrument for nuclear safety which complements those nuclear cooperation activities that are financed under the Regulation NDICI, in particular in order to support the promotion of a high level of nuclear safety, radiation protection, and the application of effective and efficient safeguards of nuclear materials in third countries.
Objectives: the proposed Regulation shall aim in particular at:
Implementation: the implementation of this Regulation shall be based on consultation, where relevant, with the relevant authorities of the Member States, and on a dialogue with the partner countries. Cooperation between the Community and the third countries or regions concerned shall be implemented on the basis of multiannual indicative programmes.
EU funding may be provided through grants, procurement contracts for services or supplies, remunerated external experts and blending.
Proposed budget: the European Commission has proposed to allocate EUR 89.5 billion (in current prices) to the neighbourhood, development cooperation and international cooperation instrument for 2021-2027, of which EUR 300 million (in current prices) shall be allocated to this instrument in order to complement the nuclear activities covered by the Euratom Treaty.