EU and IAEA agree to strengthen cooperation during 5th Senior Officials Meeting

The European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) took steps to strengthen their cooperation in a range of nuclear activities including nuclear science applications during the fifth annual Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) in Brussels during the second week of February 2017.

The talks on 15 February 2017 at the EU headquarters provided a forum to exchange views on enhancing collaboration in nuclear safety, security, safeguards, sustainable development and nuclear energy research and innovation and nuclear science applications.
The SOM acknowledged that nuclear safety is a key priority that would remain at the centre of cooperation between the EU and the IAEA. Participants reiterated their willingness to work towards an ambitious implementation of the Vienna Declaration supporting continuous safety improvements for countries that operate or are building new nuclear power plants, including in the EU neighbourhood.

Nuclear security was also on the agenda, with talks focused on how to achieve more effective and sustainable measures, including the Union support for IAEA activities in the area of nuclear security.