IAEA, EU Agree to Boost Training Collaboration
"Nuclear safety and security remain our key priorities, both in Europe and globally," added Gerassimos Thomas, deputy director general in the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission. "In 2018, the EU will conduct its first-ever topical peer review on aging management of nuclear power plants under the amended Nuclear Safety Directive."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Union recently held their sixth annual Senior Officials Meeting in Vienna, Austria, and agreed to strengthen their cooperation in several areas. The Feb. 9 event at IAEA's headquarters covered their collaboration on nuclear safety, security, safeguards, sustainable development, nuclear energy research, and increasing innovation.
"The EU is a significant partner for the IAEA, and these annual gatherings of senior officials serve an important role in helping to coordinate our activities," said Cornel Feruta, chief coordinator for IAEA. "We have been pleased by progress made in working together on several nuclear-related issues and look forward to deepening our cooperation, in particular in the area of nuclear applications for sustainable development."
"Nuclear safety and security remain our key priorities, both in Europe and globally," added Gerassimos Thomas, deputy director general in the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission. "In 2018, the EU will conduct its first-ever topical peer review on aging management of nuclear power plants under the amended Nuclear Safety Directive. It will also advance its strategic agenda on non-power applications in medicine, industry, and research. We are working in close cooperation with the IAEA on these matters."
The two parties reaffirmed support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action based on their respective mandates, and they agreed to further strengthen cooperation in training and in research and development.
Their next Senior Officials Meeting is expected to take place in Luxembourg in early 2019.