Within the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (ESARDA), academically recognised nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation courses are organised by the JRC.

European Commission issues nuclear safeguard obligations warning to British Nuclear Group Sellafield

The Agency plays a key role in the nuclear non-proliferation regime, given its responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for the implementation of nuclear safeguards, designed to verify the peaceful nature of nuclear energy programs, and its efforts to secure nuclear and radiological material.

France and the United Kingdom, as nuclear weapon States, are submitted to a different nuclear safeguards regime.

The Agreement provides for cooperation in areas which include: reactor safety research, nuclear waste management and disposal, radiation protection, decommissioning of nuclear installations, controlled nuclear fusion, research into nuclear applications in agriculture, medicine and industry, nuclear safeguards, research into interaction between nuclear energy and the environment and other areas of mutual interest jointly agreed by the Parties.

- EAEC specific research programmes will be focused on - Nuclear fission safety, with the following research areas - Reactor safety - Safeguards and fissile materials management - Radioactive waste management and - Actinides in nuclear fuel cycle safety - Controlled thermonuclear fusion Amongst the new activities requested by Commission services as scientific and technical support are: - European Centre for Alternative Testing Methods (alternative to vivisection), to be implemented by the JRC Environment Institute (Ispra) - On-Site Laboratories for Nuclear Safeguards Analyses, to be operatered by the JRC Institute for Transuranium Elemen ...[+++]ts (Karlsruhe) The total expenditure for these projects is estimated at ECU 190 million for the 1992-1994 period.