MEDIA RELEASE

(ÃÂ

.  AUSTRALIA/EURATOM NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and

Resources, the Rt.Hon. J.D. Anthony, M.P., and the Minister for

Foreign Affairs, the H o n . A.A. Street, M.P., today welcomed the

announcement in Brussels that the Council of Ministers (Foreign

Ministers) of the European Community had given approval on 19 May

to the outcome of the negotiations on a nuclear safeguards . .

agreement between Australia and the European Atomic Energy

Community (EURATOM).  The announcement said that the Council

agreed that formal approval of the conclusion of the agreement

would be given in the next few weeks, after the texts had been

finalised. It is understood that this reference to finalisation

of the texts relates to their translation into all the Community

languages. .

.  The Ministers recalled ..that the conclusion of a nuclear

safeguards agreement, with EURATOM was a major objective of the

Government in the nuclear safeguards area. Entry into force of

such an agreement would open the way to exports of Australian

uranium to the European Community under new contracts. These

would be subject to the requirements of the Government's nuclear

safeguards policy.

The Ministers looked forward to early signature of the

agreement as soon a s Ã¢ÂÂ the necessary formal procedures on both

sides had been completed. -  In accordance with the practice

established by the Government for all Australian nuclear

-safeguards agreements, the text of the agreement with EURATOM

would be made public on signature and then presented to

Parliament at an early opportunity. At that time a further,

more detailed, statement would be made.  The Ministers noted

that the agreement had been negotiated in accordance with the

requirements of Australia's nuclear safeguards policy.

Canberra,

21 May, 1981

