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^*, the Republic of Moldova^*, Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, Georgia, Iceland⁺, Liechtenstein⁺, Norway⁺ and San Marino.

We thank the IAEA Director General for his report GOV/2022/66 and for including this item on the Board agenda.

The EU condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine which is a flagrant violation of international law, notably the UN Charter, and undermines peace and security in Europe and worldwide. It has put the safety and security of Ukrainian nuclear facilities in grave risk, and impeded the IAEA from fully and safely conducting safeguards verification activities in Ukraine.

We remain gravely concerned about the continued attacks of the Russian armed forces around Ukrainian nuclear sites and the illegal seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). The situation at the ZNPP is increasingly “dangerous, precarious and challenging”, as described by the IAEA Director General. Each of the seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security has been compromised at the ZNPP following Russia’s military invasion.  We urge the Russian Federation to stop pressuring the Ukrainian operating staff and immediately release those who are detained.

The EU will never recognise Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of Ukraine’s regions and seizure of the ZNPP from its rightful owner, Ukraine. We urge the Russian Federation to implement the IAEA Board of Governors resolutions in order for the competent Ukrainian authorities to regain full control over all nuclear facilities within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, including the ZNPP, and in order for the Agency to fully, safely and timely conduct its safeguards verification activities.  

We strongly denounce the Russian Federation’s baseless accusations on the production of a “dirty bomb”. We thank Ukraine for its transparency and for immediately inviting the IAEA inspectors, and the IAEA for its prompt reaction. We welcome the Director General’s assessment that the Agency has found no indication of undeclared nuclear materials and activities at three locations.

The EU fully supports the IAEA’s work to assist Ukraine in ensuring nuclear safety and security, and to maintain the implementation of safeguards pursuant to Ukraine’s safeguards obligations. We welcome the IAEA’s unequivocal position that it continues to regard the ZNPP as a Ukrainian plant – in line with UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/4 of 12 October 2022. We welcome the continued IAEA presence at the ZNPP and we underscore the importance to preserve its access without limitation to the different facilities. We also welcome the IAEA expert missions to other nuclear facilities in Ukraine, most recently to a nuclear research facility and a waste management facility in Kharkiv. We support the Director General’s efforts to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Moreover, we welcome the ongoing work within the IAEA, as set out in Annex I of the Director General’s report, launching an internal review of challenges in the application of the Agency safety standards and nuclear security guidance in armed conflict situations, and investigating potential challenges in their application and whether there is a need for changes or additional guidance.

The EU has repeatedly stressed the need to consider also new legally binding international rules specifically prohibiting armed attacks against any nuclear installation devoted to peaceful purposes, as called for by the IAEA General Conference resolutions, which refer to the UN Charter.

Chair,

The EU remains the largest donor to Ukraine in the area of nuclear safety, with nearly EUR 50 million provided. Furthermore, all 27 EU Member States as well as four other Participating States, namely Iceland, North Macedonia, Norway and Türkiye, have offered assistance to Ukraine through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). To date, over 73,000 tonnes of assistance have been channelled to Ukraine via three logistics hubs in Poland, Slovakia and Romania, including in the area of nuclear safety and radiation protection.

The EU will continue to focus nuclear safety related assistance also on the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Exclusion Zone where the estimated damage caused by the Russian troops, including to the laboratory originally provided and funded by the EU, amounts to €80 million. The EU provides both significant material assistance as well as support to the Ukrainian regulator.

As noted in the IAEA Director General’s previous report, the European Commission and the IAEA have regular exchanges to ensure coordination in the delivery of assistance to Ukraine and to avoid unnecessary duplications.

The EU also directly supports the IAEA’s work. On 28 October, the European Commission decided to provide the IAEA with EUR 6.6 million from the European Instrument for International Safety Cooperation (INSC) of which 3.4 million for IAEA support to Ukraine. The IAEA will also implement EU-funded nuclear security activities in Ukraine worth EUR 2 million, as decided by the EU Council on 4 October.

Moreover, the EU has taken the following measures in response to the Russian Federation’s illegal actions: No EU funding will be provided to IAEA projects directly benefiting Russia or Belarus, and no EU experts will participate in IAEA meetings taking place in Russia or Belarus. We encourage all IAEA Member States to follow a similar approach and scrutinise their respective projects and activities in order to avoid entering into cooperation with those who grossly violate international law.

The Russian Federation must stop its war of aggression against Ukraine, 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 IAEA Board of Governors bears a responsibility to protect the rules-based international order. We therefore call upon all IAEA Member States and in particular Board members to lend their support for the draft Resolution tabled by Canada and Finland on “The safety, security and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine”.

Thank you, Chair

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

+ Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are members of the EFTA and of the European Economic Area.