(Secretary of State for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy):The UK has
benefited from its membership of the European Atomic Energy
Community since joining the EU and Euratom in 1973. The
Government’s ambition is to maintain as many of these benefits as
possible through a close and effective association with Euratom in
the future, after the UK withdraws from Euratom, at the same time
as withdrawing from the EU, on 29 March 2019. Our plans are
designed to be robust so as to be prepared for a number of
different scenarios including the unlikely outcome that there is no
future agreement at all. Our number one priority is continuity for
the nuclear sector.
Since the 1950s, when the UK launched the world’s first nuclear
power station, this country has been a leading civil nuclear
country on the international stage, with deep nuclear research
and nuclear decommissioning expertise, and with nuclear power
playing a vital part in our electricity generation mix. It is
vitally important that our departure from the EU does not
jeopardise this success, and it is in the interests of both the
EU and the UK that our relationship should continue to be as
close as possible. We recognise and understand the concerns that
the nuclear industry has raised. We agree it is essential that
projects and investment are not adversely affected by the UK’s
withdrawal from the EU, and can continue to operate with
certainty.
To achieve this outcome, the Government’s strategy is twofold:
through negotiations with the European Commission we will seek a
close association with Euratom and to include Euratom in any
implementation period negotiated as part of our wider exit
discussions; and at the same time, to put in place all the
necessary measures to ensure that the UK could operate as an
independent and responsible nuclear state from day one.
Our strategy is therefore based on the following principles:
-
to aim for continuity with current relevant Euratom
arrangements;
-
to ensure that the UK maintains its leading role in European
nuclear research;
-
to ensure the nuclear industry in the UK has the necessary
skilled workforce covering decommissioning, ongoing operation
of existing facilities and new build projects; and
-
to ensure that on 29 March 2019 the UK has the necessary
measures in place to ensure that the nuclear industry can
continue to operate.
The Government has made good progress on separation issues in
the last few months as part of Phase One of negotiations with
the EU. Negotiations have covered a set of legal and
technical issues related to nuclear material and waste, and
safeguards obligations and equipment. The next phase of
discussions will focus on the UK’s future relationship with
Euratom. We believe that it is of mutual benefit for both the
UK and the EU to have a close association with Euratom and to
ensure a future safeguards regime that will be equivalent in
effectiveness and coverage as that currently provided by
Euratom, including consideration of any potential role for
Euratom in helping to establish the UK’s own domestic
safeguards regime.
The UK’s specific objectives in respect of the future
relationship are to seek:
-
a close association with the Euratom Research
and Training Programme, including the Joint
European Torus (JET) and the International Thermonuclear
Experimental Reactor (ITER) projects;
-
continuity of open trade
arrangements for nuclear goods and products to
ensure the nuclear industry is able to continue to trade
across EU borders without disruption; and
-
maintaining close and effective cooperation with Euratom
on nuclear safety.
We understand the importance to businesses and communities,
including those in the nuclear sector, of being able to
access the workforce they need. Proposals for our future
immigration system will be set out shortly and we will ensure
that those businesses and communities, and Parliament have
the opportunity to contribute their views before making any
decisions about the future system.
Whatever the outcome of the negotiations with the EU, it is
vital that Government pursues all options for providing
certainty for the civil nuclear industry that it will be able
to continue its operations, including that the UK has a
safeguards regime that meets international standards by the
end of March 2019 and that necessary international agreements
are in place. Such elements are not dependent on the EU
negotiations and the UK Government is well advanced in
delivering this plan.
The UK is: establishing a legislative and regulatory
framework for a domestic safeguards regime – the Nuclear
Safeguards Bill will, subject to the will of Parliament,
provide legal powers for the Secretary of State to establish
a domestic regime which the Office for Nuclear Regulation
will regulate; negotiating bilateral safeguards agreements
with the International Atomic Energy Agency; and putting in
place bilateral Nuclear Cooperation Agreements with key third
countries.
As set out by the Prime Minister, the UK Government is
proposing a time-limited implementation period where we
continue to have access to one another’s markets on current
terms and take part in existing security measures. This
implementation period would cover Euratom too. The exact
nature of the period will be subject to forthcoming
negotiations including on the issues outlined in this
statement.
As discussions with the EU move onto the important issue of
the future relationship, I shall report back every three
months about overall progress on Euratom, covering the EU
negotiations and other important matters covered in this
statement, by way of further Written Statements to keep
Parliament updated.
