Main Features of the Euratom-IAEA Safeguards R and D Cooperation Programme

In the frame of a general cooperative programme between the European Atomic Energy Community and the International Atomic Energy Agency signed in 1975, an exchange of letters between the two organisations took place in May 1981, defining specific areas of safeguards R and D. These areas are related to containment and surveillance measurement technology, information data treatment and evaluation, and training. On the basis of the existing experience of safeguards implelentation by Euratom and related R and D work at the Joint Research Centre (JRC), a number of tasks have been defined, which are essentially orientated to the technical aspects of the international safeguards inspection activities. Emphasis is also put on the harmonisation and standardisation aspects, in particular, in the area of technical procedures, data output compatibility, data evaluation for measurements and material balance evaluation and procurement of reference materials for destructive and non destructive assay of fissile materials. Finally, some JRC developed techniques related to ultrasonic identification of seals or the applicability of a transportable mass spectrometer are specifically treated in this cooperation programme.