EURATOM Statement at the General Debate of the 68th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference, 18 September 2024

Mr President, Mr Director-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of Euratom, the European Atomic Energy Community.

Let me first congratulate you, Mr President, on your election as the President of this General Conference.

I would also like to warmly welcome the Cook Islands and Federal Republic of Somalia as new Member States of the IAEA. We look forward to a mutually beneficial cooperation on peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology.

The collaboration of the Euratom Community and the European Commission with the IAEA is strong and well established.

At the outset, I would like to express our recognition to the IAEA for its continuous and intensive involvement in monitoring the safety and security of nuclear installations in war-torn Ukraine, and regularly informing the international community in the most challenging of circumstances.

Due to the Russian Federation's unjustified and illegal seizure of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the nuclear safety and security situation in Ukraine remains of deep concern for Euratom, as we know it is for the IAEA and all our other partners.

Let me refer to the EU statement in this regard, which condemns the Russian Federation's continued aggression against Ukraine. Beyond the immense human suffering and destruction, it poses serious and direct threats to the safety and security of Ukrainian nuclear facilities.

The Russian Federation's irresponsible and dangerous behaviour, especially at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, continues to flagrantly violate international law, underlining the need for stronger enforcement mechanisms of international law and conventions. Euratom underlines the importance of respecting existing international humanitarian law and renewing efforts to reinforce the international framework on the protection of nuclear facilities in situations of armed conflicts.

The EU and Euratom support the IAEA in its efforts, including the monitoring missions the IAEA is carrying out at all Ukrainian NPP sites, in particular at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, illegally seized by the Russian Federation.

European financial instruments continue to provide sizeable support to Ukraine to enhance nuclear safety, security and safeguards. We work closely with the nuclear safety regulators of Euratom Member States, Ukraine, and like-minded countries. Through the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation, the European Commission provides further assistance to Ukraine nuclear safety and radiation protection, such as restoration of the Chornobyl laboratories and equipment damaged by Russian occupiers in the Chornobyl exclusion zone, or support to the Ukrainian nuclear safety regulator.

Whitin Euratom, a very important development this yearconcerns nuclear safeguards, which remain an essential pillar of global non-proliferation. For more than half a century, Euratom, by operating a unique state-of-the art regional safeguards system, has acted as a reliable partner to the IAEA in this domain.

In fact, this year we celebrate 65 years of the first Euratom Safeguards Regulation, establishing reporting rules for users of nuclear material in the EU within the frame of the 'Euratom safeguards' system. The current Regulation of 2005, which is the latest regulation to this effect since 1959, has now been revised and updated to ensure the continued effectiveness and efficiency of Euratom safeguards in light of developments in the nuclear sector and in information technology.

The nuclear safeguards application in the EU is implemented in collaboration between the European Commission and the IAEA. Central to this constructive collaboration are the performance of joint inspections and the development and use of common instruments and tools, as agreed under the New Partnership Approach.

Safeguards-by-design principles have been applied systematically, providing a framework for the joint development of safeguards approaches and infrastructure in a number of projects, most notably in the Encapsulation Plant and Geological Repository (EPGR) project in Finland.

Euratom scientists and experts are also committed to continue the more than 40-years long support to IAEA safeguards through the dedicated European Commission Support Programme, which addresses a broad spectrum of IAEA research, development and training needs.

Besides nuclear safeguards, nuclear safety continues to be of critical importance for the European Union, Euratom and its Member States beyond the situation in Ukraine. We are working together within Euratom to ensure the highest standards of nuclear safety in accordance with the Euratom legal framework and their continuous improvement and systematic enforcement. It is in our common interest to make sure that all nuclear installations are safely operated, and accidents are prevented, or their consequences mitigated. To benefit from the vast experience of Regulators, we work closely with ENSREG, the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group.

The Nuclear Safety Directive remains the cornerstone of the European approach to nuclear safety and the European Commission is currently exploring with Euratom Members the scope for common approaches in three priority areas - regulatory independence, nuclear safety objective, and safety culture.

Sharing experiences and best practices and using international and regional peer review mechanisms have shown clear benefits in improving nuclear safety. In this respect, the EU Member States have implemented the majority of the post-Fukushima stress tests actions, followed by the European Commission together with ENSREG, only very few longer-term actions remain to be finalised. The voluntary involvement of non-Euratom countries in this exercise confirms the value of the applied methodology to re-evaluate the safety margins of nuclear power plants. We will continue to engage in such stress tests with willing partner countries, in particular in the EU neighbourhood.

The nuclear safety objective cannot however be achieved without sustainable long-term safe management of radioactive waste and spent fuel, including decommissioning while duly addressing the financial aspects of the back end of the fuel cycle. The European Commission adopted the third report on progress of implementation of Council Directive establishing a community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste in May 2024. The Commission concluded that while radioactive waste is managed safely in the EU, the implementation of the Directive has not achieved its objectives for all categories of radioactive waste. While Finland, France and Sweden progressed substantially in constructing deep geological repositories and maintained ambitious plans, several Member States' plans do not set sufficiently ambitious targets in ensuring responsible management of spent fuel and radioactive waste in the EU and avoiding the transfer of any undue burden to future generations.

All Member States are to pay particular attention to take timely steps towards identifying and implementing safe and sustainable solutions for high-level waste management. Upon mandate from the European Parliament, the European Commission is carrying out a study on the advantages and viability of multinational approaches to disposal solutions. The benefits of pooling resources for establishing these solutions are worth consideration because of the high costs, engineering efforts and lengthy construction periods.

In the context of radioactive waste management, let me recall that in the EU, the well-advanced nuclear decommissioning assistance programmes to Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania are at the stage that allows to share the build-up knowledge about decommissioning approaches for the benefit of safe, effective, and efficient implementation of all nuclear decommissioning projects. Euratom is also an important partner to the IAEA in this field by providing a significant financial contribution to the monitoring of the chemically treated wastewater release which is part of the decommissioning of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.

In both nuclear safety and waste management, the excellent Euratom cooperation with the IAEA continues unabated. In March 2024, the European Commission and the IAEA signed a Contribution Agreement to support over the next three years both the IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) and international peer review of the national framework for the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste (ARTEMIS) programmes. Euratom Member States, through ENSREG, continue to provide national experts to participate in the relevant peer reviews. Following a successful completion of the IRRS reviews in all Euratom Member States in 2022, several Member States have already hosted initial missions under the next 10- year cycle.

ENSREG Members, along with several other IAEA Member States, are also cooperating with the IAEA on increasing the effectiveness of the peer review missions. The IAEA has developed guidelines for so-called "back-to-back" missions, when IRRS and ARTEMIS missions take place close to each other. Work is currently underway to develop the concept of focused missions for those countries already having completed two full IRRS cycles. ENSREG has given input to assist the IAEA and will review the subsequent output (draft guidelines) aiming to promote the standards of the Euratom relevant legislation as regards international peer reviews. A trial IRRS focused mission is expected in 2026.

By the end of 2023, all Euratom Member States hosted an international peer review of their national framework for the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste - ARTEMIS. Before the new cycle reviews are starting, the European Commission finds it a good opportunity to learn from the lessons of the first review cycle together with the IAEA and our Member States.

Also, in the area of emergency preparedness and response, Euratom is seeking to further enhance cooperation with the IAEA. The European environmental monitoring system EURDEP is already the major data source for the IAEA's IRMIS system. Work needs to continue on the use of tools to facilitate decision making in the event of a radiological incident. The recently concluded Practical Arrangements on Response to Nuclear and Radiological Incidents and Emergencies further improve the cooperation between the Commission and IAEA emergency systems. Furthermore, Euratom is assessing the scope for improvement in Member States' preparation and coordination in case of a future nuclear or radiological accident. Euratom also looks forward to progress with Ukraine's accession to ECURIE.

Besides the ongoing collaboration with the IAEA in nuclear safeguards, safety and the back end of the fuel cycle, we see further opportunities for closer collaboration with the IAEA for example in new nuclear technologies. It is vital for Euratom to maintain technological leadership and nuclear competences for present and future challenges.

The Euratom Research and Training Programme is central to promote excellence in nuclear research and innovation in fission and fusion through research, education and training. Under the Euratom Research and Training (R&T) Work Programme 2023-2025, the Commission recently launched actions linked to a number of topics that are closely followed by the IAEA and many of its Member Countries. These topics include the safety of SMRs, the development of nuclear materials, secure management and disposal of radioactive waste, or fusion as a promising future energy source.

Several Euratom Member States are considering the use of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) to decarbonise their energy sector. To facilitate the safe development and deployment of the first SMR projects in Europe by the early 2030s, the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs was launched in February 2024. The Alliance will collaborate closely with international bodies, such as the IAEA, on industrial applications, nuclear safety, radioactive waste management and safeguards aspects mainly through their participation in the ad-hoc roundtables and stakeholder's forum(s). The first deliverables, i. e. technology roadmaps and a strategic action plan should be ready by the end of 2024 and in the first quarter of 2025 respectively.

Euratom and its Member States support actions aiming to ensure that the deployment of all types of SMRs is carried out with the highest possible levels of nuclear safety, security and safeguards. To ensure coherence and complementarity of efforts, close links are also established with the new IAEA 'Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI)'.

In the global quest for broader sources of energy and increased energy independence, also the changes in the fusion sector are substantial. The ITER project, which remains the Euratom flagship fusion project of global importance, is undergoing reforms. It is important for Euratom that ITER can provide engineering proof and scientific results as soon as possible. At the same time, we witness the emergence of new private initiatives and start-ups. All this demonstrates that fusion is no longer only about large public investments in research projects. There is a shift from technological research to market interest.

In this spirit, in April 2024, the European Commission brought key fusion stakeholders to Strasbourg to discuss European fusion policy approaches and ways towards fusion commercialisation engaging European industrial capability. In 2024, the European Commission established the Commission's Fusion Expert Group to provide advice and expertise for the definition of the EU fusion strategic approach toward achieving the fastest possible path to the commercialisation of fusion. The group will also offer guidance to ensure a coherent and strategic approach to EU actions within the international context, including coordination and cooperation with international partners such as the IAEA.

To advance fusion development, a comprehensive and worldwide regulatory framework is needed that enhances the development of fusion technology overall, addressing the many safety requirements and supporting the construction and operation of future fusion power plants. In this regard, the European Commission welcomes the upcoming IAEA and G7 World Fusion Energy Group event planned on 6 November by the G7 Presidency in Rome.

As regards fusion research, the Euratom Research Programme continues to support EUROfusion. A Euratom grant of EUR 549 million is covering the years 2021 to 2025. It is delivering the necessary knowledge, preparing European teams for the exploitation of ITER and providing the training of a new generation of fusion scientists and engineers.

In May 2024, a new call for proposal was launched to prepare for a potential future Public-Private Partnership (PPP) on Fusion Energy. The call aims at establishing an industry-led European association, representing the European fusion industry and relevant fusion-related technology centres and research organisations. Furthermore, it has the objective of laying down a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda on Fusion Energy.

The Euratom Research and Training programme also addresses the issue of nuclear skills in Europe aiming at establishing a long-term, industry-, research- and training-led European initiative to address workforce and skill shortages in nuclear fission and fusion. Maintaining nuclear competencies for the present and future generations of nuclear scientists and engineers is further supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under Horizon Europe, sponsored by the Euratom Research and Training Programme.

Last but not least, the Euratom Research and Training programme 2023-25 also supports research on plastic pollution, a topic of common interest with the IAEA.

We also look at further scope for collaboration between Euratom and the IAEA and its Member Countries in non-power applications of nuclear energy. Let me recall that, at the beginning of this year and in line with the Strategic Agenda for Medical Ionising Radiation Applications (SAMIRA) the European Commission published a research roadmap for medical applications of ionising radiation and, in April, adopted a Commission Recommendation providing guidance to Member States on how to implement national systems for clinical audits in radiology, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine.

Moreover, to secure the supply of medical radioisotopes, the European Commission is working on establishing a European Radioisotope Valley Initiative (ERVI), with the aim of facilitating access to source materials needed to produce medical radioisotopes. The initiative is intended to improve efficiency and optimize industrial-scale production of radioisotopes, and to support research and innovation into novel nuclear medicine therapies and radioisotopes production technologies. Other EU institutions, namely the Council of the European Union and the European Economic and Social Committee, have recently issued opinions expressing their support to the Commission and calling to continue efforts to secure the supply of medical radioisotopes.

Our work on the security of supply of medical radioisotopes is part of wider continuous efforts deployed by the Commission and the Euratom Supply Agency, in accordance with the REPowerEU Plan, to further diversify the full nuclear life cycle supply chain in close cooperation with international partners and using the unique powers of the Euratom Supply Agency.

In this context, I would like to recall the important work that the Euratom Supply Agency has done for more than 60 years now in ensuring the stable and secure supplyof nuclear materials for power and non-power uses in the European Union.

We stress the need to enhance the available production capacities in the open economies globally. The Euratom Supply Agency also follows up on the future supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium. It will be important for research, for isotope production, but also for new power generation technologies.

We are glad to see a renewed interest to secure the supply of medical radioisotopes. Past shortages of medical radioisotopes have shown that supply chains can be vulnerable. In partnership with the industry, the Euratom Supply Agency steers a European Observatory that helps reduce the risk of adverse events.

Last but not least, Euratom's support to the promotion of nuclear safety culture, the safe management of nuclear waste and the efficient application of safeguards of nuclear materials extends beyond Europe into IAEA Member Countries across the world. Euratom is closely cooperating with like-minded countries and international organisations, including through its Nuclear Cooperation Agreements. For this, it also uses its EuropeanInstrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation with a budget of EUR 300 million allocated for 2021-2027. For example, through the INSC, the Commission supports Armenia in the implementation of recommendations from the EU/ENSREG nuclear safety stress test.

EU and Euratom funds are also allocated to the IAEA for projects in their Nuclear Safety, Technical Cooperation and Safeguards departments. These include the Regulatory Cooperation Forum, a project allowing for systematic exchange of information between donors and recipients of nuclear regulatory support, in view of strengthening regulators. The 'Cradle to Grave' initiative is also a good example of our efforts to ensure that radioactive sources are safely purchased, used, disposed and returned to the original suppliers.

Considering the critical objectives pursued by international conventions such as the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, it is of the utmost importance that ever more countries will become signatories to those conventions, and that they are steadfastly implemented by its Contracting Parties, including by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the review processes, as was the case with the recent actions agreed by the Contracting Parties to the Joint Convention as well as to the Convention on Nuclear Safety.

Mr President, Mr Director-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The IAEA remains a key Euratom partner which contributes to the safe and sustainable development of nuclear power. Let us take full advantage of synergies between our policies and activities in this important area.

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