ÃÂ102 21 September 1981 Embargoed u n t i l  8pm AEST

' 21 September 1981

AUSTRALIA/EURATOM NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and   Resources, Mr Anthony, and the Acting Minister for Foreign   A f f a i r s ,  Mr Macphee, welcomed the signature in Brussels on   21 September of a nuclear safeguards agreement with the European   Atomic Energy Community ( EURATOM).

The Agreement e n t i t l e d  "Agreement between the Government   of Aust ral i a and the European Atomic Energy Community concerning   Transfers of Nuclear Material from Aust r al ia to the European   Atomic Energy Community" was signed by Vice President of the

Commission of the European Communities, Mr W. Haferkamp, and the   Australian Ambassador to the European Communities, Mr R. R. Fernandez.

The Agreement w i l l  ensure that exports of Australian   uranium under new contracts to al l ten Member States of the   European Community w i l l  be carried out in accordance with   A u st r al i a' s nuclear safeguards policy requirements. The Agreement   w i l l  enter into force following an exchange of diplomatic notes

and the way w i l l  then be open for these uranium exports to proceed.

In accordance with EURATOM1s spe ci fi c competence in .the   nuclear ar ea, t h e . Agreement does not cover transfers of nuclear   material from the Community Member States to Au st r al i a,  nor   transfers in e i t h e r  direction of non-nuclear ma t e r i a l ,  equipment and

technology. S i d e - l e t t e r s  from EURATOM Member States which do not   have b i l a t e r a l  agreements with Aust ral ia make i t  clear that relevant   Member States are prepared, i f  and when appropriate, to enter into   discussions about supplementary arrangements to cover these

t r a n s f e r s . In this regard Aust ral i a already has appropriate agreeÂ­ ments with two EURATOM Member St at e s , the United Kingdom and France.

The Agreement incorporates a l l  the requirements of the ,   Government's nuclear safeguards policy including the prohi bi ti on   of explosive and m i l i t a r y  use, the application of I nt ernat i onal

Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, " f a l l -b a c k "  safeguards,   pri or consent ri ghts over retransfers of Australian-supplied uranium   to thi r d countries outside the Community, and physical protection   at levels which as a minimum s a t i s f y  i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y  agreed c r i t e r i a   The Agreement provides that the conditions for high enrichment,

also subject to Australian consent, w i l l  be agreed in wri ti ng

between the Parties should that question arise in the f u t u r e .   Consistent with the division of competence between the Community   and the Member S t a t e s , the l a t t e r  w i l l  apply the measures of   physical protecti on.  S i d e - l e t t e r s  to the Agreement commit the   Member States to f u l f i l l  the relevant physical protection   obligations of the Agreement. The Agreement provides for

administrative arrangements to ensure e f f e c t i v e  implementation   of i t s provisions.

Like A u st r a l i a ' s  recentl y concluded nuclear safeguards   agreements with France and Sweden, the Agreement also incorporates   agreed conditions on the reprocessing of spent fuel, of

2 .i*s

A u s t r a l i a n  o r i g i n .  S u c h  c o n d i t i o n s  a c c o r d  w i t h  t h e  r e q u i r e -  Â·

m e n t s  o f  t h e  G o v e r n m e n t ' s  p o l i c y  o n  c o n d i t i o n s  f o r  A u s t r a l i a n   c o n s e n t  f o r  r e p r o c e s s i n g  a s  a n n o u n c e d  t o  P a r l i a m e n t  b y   M r  S t r e e t  o n  2 7  N o v e m b e r  1 9 8 0 .

T h e  M i n i s t e r s  n o t e d  t h a t  s o me  o f  t h e  M e m b e r  S t a t e s   o f  t h e  C o m m u n i t y  h a v e  f u e l  c y c l e  s e r v i c e s  p e r f o r m e d  o u t s i d e  t h e   C o m m u n i t y .  A s i d e - l e t t e r  t o  t h e  A g r e e m e n t  s e t s  o u t   a r r a n g e m e n t s  f o r  t h e  o p e r a t i o n  o f  p r i o r  c o n s e n t  a n d  n o t i f i c a t i o n   p r o c e d u r e s  a p p l i c a b l e  t o  t h e s e  t r a n s f e r s ,  i n  a c c o r d a n c e  w i t h   A u s t r a l i a ' s  s a f e g u a r d s  p o l i c y .  :

T h e  M i n i s t e r s  r e c a l l e d  t h a t  t h e  c o n c l u s i o n  o f  a n u c l e a r   s a f e g u a r d s  a g r e e m e n t  w i t h  E URAT OM w a s  a m a j o r  o b j e c t i v e  o f   t h e  G o v e r n m e n t  i n  t h e  n u c l e a r  s a f e g u a r d s  a r e a .  T h e  A g r e e m e n t   r e p r e s e n t s  a s u b s t a n t i a l  s t e p  f o r w a r d  i n  o u r  r e l a t i o n s  w i t h  t h e   E u r o p e a n  C o m m u n i t y  a n d  i t s  M e m b e r  S t a t e s .

T h e  M i n i s t e r s  s a i d  t h a t  i n  a c c o r d a n c e  w i t h  t h e  p r a c t i c e  ÃÂ

a d o p t e d  w i t h  a l l  o f  A u s t r a l i a ' s  n u c l e a r  s a f e g u a r d s  a g r e e m e n t s ,  t h e   t e x t  o f  t h e  A g r e e m e n t  w a s  b e i n g  ma d e  p u b l i c  u p o n  s i g n a t u r e  a n d   w o u l d  b e  p r e s e n t e d  t o  P a r l i a m e n t  i n  t h e  n e a r  f u t u r e .

A u s t r a l i a  h a s  n o w s i g n e d  b i l a t e r a l  n u c l e a r  s a f e g u a r d s   a g r e e m e n t s  w i t h  F i n l a n d ,  t h e  P h i l i p p i n e s ,  t h e  R e p u b l i c  o f . K o r e a ,   t h e  U n i t e d  S t a t e s  o f  . A m e r i c a ,  t h e  U n i t e d  K i n g d o m ,  F r a n c e ,  C a n a d a ,   S w e d e n  a n d  E U R A T O M.  T h e s e  a g r e e m e n t s  c o v e r  s i x t e e n  c o u n t r i e s ,   d e m o n s t r a t i n g  t h e  l a r g e  m e a s u r e  o f  i n t e r n a t i o n a l  a c c e p t a b i l i t y  .

a c c o r d e d  t o  A u s t r a l i a ' s  n u c l e a r  s a f e g u a r d s  p o l i c y .

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