Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement: North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, Georgia, Iceland⁺ and San Marino.

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 the NPT.

Being among the largest donors to the IAEA’s Technical Cooperation (TC) Programme, the EU and its Member States support activities to facilitate cooperation on peaceful uses of nuclear technology, and provide technical expertise and know-how. We encourage results-oriented, needs-based and demand-driven TC projects and gender mainstreaming in all activities.

Ahead of the SDG Summit in September 2023, we are mindful of the contributions of nuclear science and technology to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement. We welcome the IAEA activities that help improve human health, agriculture, food security and water management; combat climate change and pollution; and preserve cultural heritage, including important initiatives such as Rays of Hope, ZODIAC and NUTEC Plastics.

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

The EU and its Member States are resolved to ensure the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and safeguards. They are essential for the responsible, safe and secure development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including the implementation of all technical co-operation projects. We encourage all States to establish and maintain a comprehensive national nuclear safety and security framework, based on the internationally recognised IAEA safety standards and security guidance. Continuously improving nuclear safety and security is required also for new technologies, including concepts such as small and medium sized or modular reactors (SMRs). International cooperation should be therefore in the interest of all States. It will contribute to building public trust and confidence needed to widen the use of nuclear technology applications worldwide. We reiterate that the nuclear safety standards and nuclear security guidance facilitate the development of peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

We call on all States that have not yet done so to join the international nuclear safety and security conventions and fully implement their provisions. We welcome the successful outcome of the Joint Eighth and Ninth Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety held in Vienna in March 2023. We 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.

Given the growing use of radioactive materials and sources worldwide, we also encourage all States to adhere to the IAEA Code of Conduct on the safety and security of radioactive sources and the related supplementary guidance at this 20^th anniversary year of the Code.

Chair,

Giving due priority to nuclear safety, the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation, with a budget of €300 million for 2021-2027, provides support and helps strengthen nuclear safety and radiation protection, radioactive waste management and nuclear safeguards in countries outside the EU. Ongoing activities include worldwide projects on education and training in nuclear safety and radiation protection, remediation activities in Central Asian countries, cooperation with nuclear safety regulators in several African countries and extensive support to Ukraine, bilaterally and via the IAEA. Since the Fukushima nuclear accident, the EU has conducted nuclear stress tests within the EU together with neighbouring countries, and we facilitate and encourage further participation therein.

The EU encourages all States to minimise Highly Enriched Uranium in civilian stocks and use, 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 fullest possible exchange of 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 WMDs and their means of delivery and promote transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of dual-use goods and technologies. The EU therefore fully supports the existing multilateral export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Zangger Committee.

On a related note, the EU remains a consistent and strong supporter of the civil and scientific applications of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Data deriving from its international monitoring system can be of relevance in the case of a radiological emergency, in preventing consequences of natural and man-made disasters and for climate change research.

Furthermore, the EU and its Member States remain committed to promoting gender equality throughout the Agency’s activities and in all nuclear activities, as well as the empowerment of women and girls. In support of this objective, the EU is the largest donor to the IAEA's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme.

Chair,

The EU and its Member States fully support - also through significant extra-budgetary contributions - the work of the IAEA to assist Ukraine and help strengthen nuclear safety and security, including the Director General’s seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security in armed conflict and five principles to avoid a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). We have contributed to the establishment of the IAEA support and assistance missions at Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, and provide significant bilateral assistance. The EU condemns in the strongest terms Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which is a flagrant violation of international law, notably the UN Charter, and affects international cooperation. Russia’s full-scale invasion has significantly increased the risk of a nuclear accident, with potentially severe consequences for Ukraine and its neighbouring countries, as well as wider global reverberations, including with regard to global food supply.

Once again, the EU urges Russia to comply with relevant UN General Assembly and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions. Russia must stop its war of aggression against Ukraine, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its armed forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine, and fully respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The EU stands with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Thank you, Chair.

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

+ Iceland is a member of the EFTA and of the European Economic Area.