Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Candidate Countries Montenegro*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia, and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

The EU reaffirms its support for the inalienable right of all NPT States Parties to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with Article IV of the NPT. 

The EU and its Member States continue to support activities to facilitate cooperation on peaceful uses of nuclear technologies, and provide technical expertise and know-how. EU Member States are among the largest donors to the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme. Let me also highlight the contributions of the European institutions and the in-kind support provided by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre to the IAEA in the area of nuclear medicine and other nuclear applications, or through bilateral projects such as the Joint Research Centre’s collaboration with South Africa in advancing Targeted Alpha Therapy to fight cancer, as showcased in a side event in this Preparatory Committee session. We encourage results-oriented, needs-based and demand-driven technical cooperation projects and gender mainstreaming in all activities.

Following the successful adoption of the Pact for the Future, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement remain a top priority for all UN organisations. We appreciate the IAEA’s activities that help improve health and environmental protection, including addressing plastic pollution, agriculture, food security and safety, and water management; and preserve cultural and natural heritage. In this regard, we welcome the important initiatives launched by the IAEA Director General, such as Rays of Hope, ZODIAC, NUTEC Plastics and Atoms4Food. 

We acknowledge the need to ensure energy security and respect the right of States to decide on their energy mix and choose the most appropriate technologies to collectively achieve the 2030 climate target. Nuclear technologies can be of great help to mitigate the consequences of global warming and monitor its impact. 

The EU and its Member States are committed to ensuring the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and safeguards. This is essential to the responsible, safe and secure development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including for technical cooperation. We encourage all States to establish and maintain comprehensive national nuclear safety and security frameworks, based on the internationally recognised IAEA safety standards and security guidance. It will facilitate the development of peaceful uses of nuclear technologies and contribute to building public trust and acceptance needed to facilitate nuclear science and technology applications worldwide.

Continuously improving nuclear safety and security is also required for the development and deployment of new technologies, including small modular reactors. This is being advanced through actively contributing to the IAEA’s work, such as the Nuclear Harmonisation and Standardisation Initiative (NHSI).

The EU reaffirms the central role of the IAEA in promoting, sustaining and strengthening the global nuclear security architecture, facilitating international cooperation and building capacities and developing guidance in coordination with its Member States. This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the adoption of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, as well as the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Their universalisation and effective implementation have benefitted from continued financial EU support since 2018. We encourage all States that have not yet done so to adhere to the international nuclear safety and security conventions and fully implement their provisions, as well as to subscribe to the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and its two supplementary Guidance. We also encourage all IAEA Member States, especially those that have not done so and embarking countries, to make full use of the IAEA’s peer review missions and advisory services.  We look forward to contributing to two key IAEA conferences next year on Computer Security in the Nuclear World and on the Safe and Secure Transport of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials.

Chair,

The Euratom Research and Training Programme aims to pursue nuclear research and training activities in the EU with an emphasis on continually improving nuclear safety and security. For the period 2021-2025, the programme has a total budget of € 1.38 billion. 

The European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation, with a budget of €300 million for 2021-2027, provides significant support to strengthen nuclear safety, radioactive waste management and nuclear safeguards in a number of partner countries outside the EU. Ongoing activities include: repairing damage in Ukraine including the damage caused to the New Safe Confinement in Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, remediation activities in Central Asian countries, and cooperation with nuclear safety regulators in several African countries. 

The EU and its Member States remain major donors to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund, with contributions from the EU budget alone amounting to more than €67 million. Furthermore, the EU Centres of Excellence facilitate regional cooperation with 64 partner countries to mitigate chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risks, with a budget of €175 million for the period 2021-2027.

The EU encourages all States to minimise Highly Enriched Uranium in civilian stocks and use Low Enriched Uranium, where technically and economically feasible, and to share experiences including updates on progress in this regard. 

We recall that effective and transparent export controls are important for facilitating the exchange of nuclear equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, as set out in Article IV of the NPT. Multilateral export control regimes contribute to the prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery and promote transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of dual-use goods and technologies, ultimately facilitating these transfers for peaceful uses. These aspects are discussed in the side event on the role of export controls organised by the EU at the margins of this session of the Preparatory Committee. The EU therefore fully supports the existing multilateral export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Zangger Committee.

The EU remains a steadfast supporter of the civil and scientific applications of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The International Monitoring System (IMS) provides relevant data for managing radiological emergencies, preventing consequences of natural and man-made disasters and for climate change research, among others. The capacity building activities of the CTBTO Provisional Technical Secretariat represent a valuable contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The entry into force and universalisation of the CTBT remains a priority for the EU. It is in this spirit that the EU together with 16 other States Parties has submitted a working paper with a series of recommendations for the 2026 NPT review cycle.

Furthermore, the EU and its Member States remain committed to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and gender mainstreaming in all IAEA, CTBTO and other nuclear-related activities. The EU remains the largest donor to the IAEA Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme and supports the CTBTO Mentoring Programme for Early Career Women in STEM.

Chair,

We remain gravely concerned over the nuclear safety and security risks caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We once again recall the importance of upholding the IAEA seven pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security in armed conflicts and the five principles established by the Director General for the ZNPP. We also reiterate the importance of the IAEA Support and Assistance Missions at all of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, as well as its monitoring at electrical substations. The EU and its Member States provide extensive support to Ukraine, both bilaterally and through the IAEA. The EU will continue to support Ukraine.

Thank you, Chair.

* Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.