International Atomic Energy Agency Information Circular (Unofficial electronic edition) |
INFCIRC/254
February 1978
GENERAL Distr.
|
LETTER I
The Permanent Mission of ...... presents its compliments to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and has the honour to enclose copies of three documents which have been the subject of discussion between the Government of ....... and a number of other Governments.LETTER IIThe Government of ........ has decided that, when considering the export of nuclear material, equipment or technology, it will act in accordance with the principles contained in the attached documents.
In reaching this decision, the Government of ...... is fully aware of the need to contribute to the development of nuclear power in order to meet world energy requirements, while avoiding contributing in any way to the dangers of a proliferation of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and of the need to remove safeguards and non-proliferation assurances from the field of commercial competition.
The Government of........ hopes that other Governments may also decide to base their own nuclear export policies upon these documents.
The Government of ........ requests that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency should circulate the texts of this note and its enclosures to all Member Governments for their information and as a demonstration of support by the Government of.......for the Agency's non-proliferation objectives and safeguards activities.
The Permanent Mission of .......... avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency the assurances of its highest consideration.
The Permanent Mission of Canada to the IAEA presents its compliments to the Director General and has the honour to enclose copies of three documents that have been the subject of discussion between the Government of Canada and a number of other Governments.LETTER IIIThe Government of Canada has decided that, when considering the export of nuclear material, equipment or technology, it will act in accordance with the principles contained in the attached documents as well as other principles considered pertinent by it.
In reaching this decision, the Government of Canada is fully aware of the need to contribute to the development of nuclear power in order to meet world energy requirements, while avoiding contributing in any way to the dangers of a proliferation of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and of the need to remove safeguards and non-proliferation assurances from the field of commercial competition.
The Government of Canada hopes that other Governments may also decide to base their own nuclear export policies upon these documents and such further principles as may be agreed upon.
The Government of Canada requests that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency should circulate the text of this Note and its enclosures to all Member Governments for their information and as a demonstration of support by the Government of Canada for the Agency's non-proliferation objectives and safeguard activities.
The Permanent Mission of Canada to the IAEA avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Director General the assurances of its highest consideration.
The Permanent Mission of Sweden present their compliments to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency have the honour to enclose copies of three documents which have been the subject of discussion between the Government of Sweden and a number of other Governments.LETTER IVThe Government of Sweden have decided that, when considering the export of nuclear material, equipment or technology, they will act in accordance with the principles contained in the attached documents.
In reaching this decision, the Government of Sweden are fully aware of the need to avoid contributing in any way to the dangers of a proliferation of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and of the need to remove safeguards and non-proliferation assurances from the field of commercial competition.
The Government of Sweden hope that other Governments may also decide to base their own nuclear export policies upon these documents.
The Government of Sweden request that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency should circulate the text of this Note and its enclosures to all Member Governments for their information and as a demonstration of support by the Government of Sweden for the Agency's non-proliferation objectives and safeguards activities.
The Permanent Mission of Sweden take this opportunity to renew to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency the assurances of their highest consideration.
The Permanent Mission of.......... to the International Organizations in Vienna presents its compliments to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and has the honour to enclose copies of three documents which have been the subject of discussion between the ........... and a number of other Governments.LETTER VThe Government of........has decided that, when considering the export of nuclear material, equipment or technology, it will act in accordance with the principles contained in the attached documents.
In reaching this decision, the Government of ........ is fully aware of the need to contribute to the development of nuclear power in order to meet world energy requirements, while avoiding contributing in any way to the dangers of a proliferation of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and of the need to remove safeguards and non-proliferation assurances from the field of commercial competition.
As a Member of the European Community, the Government of ........... so far as trade within the Community is concerned, will implement these documents in the light of its commitments under the Treaties of Rome where necessary.
The Government of ....... hopes that other Governments may also decide to base their own nuclear export policies upon the these documents.
The Government of ......... requests that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency should circulate the texts of this Note and its enclosures to all Member Governments for their information and as a demonstration of support by the Government of ............ for the Agency's non-proliferation objectives and safeguards activities.
The Permanent Mission of ........... to the International Organizations in Vienna avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency the assurances of its highest consideration.
The Permanent Mission of Italy present their compliments and have the honour to enclose copies of three documents which have been the subject of discussion between the Government of Italy and a number of other Governments.LETTER VIThe Government of Italy have decided that, when considering the export of nuclear material, equipment or technology, they will act in accordance with the principles contained in the attached documents.
In reaching this decision, the Government of Italy are fully aware of the need to contribute to the development of nuclear power in order to meet world energy requirements, while avoiding contributing in any way to dangers of a proliferation of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and of the need to remove safeguards and non-proliferation assurances from the field of commercial competition.
The Italian Government underline that the undertaking referred to cannot limit in any way the rights and obligations arising for Italy out of agreements to which she is a Party, and in particular those arising out of Article IV of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
As a Member of the European Community, the Government of Italy, so far as trade within the Community is concerned, will implement these documents in the light of their commitments under the Treaties of Rome where necessary.
The Government of Italy hope that other Governments may also decide to base their own nuclear export policies upon these documents.
The Government of Italy request that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency should circulate the texts of this Note and its enclosures to all Member Governments for their information and as a demonstration of support by the Government of Italy for the Agency's non-proliferation objectives and safeguards activities.
The Permanent Mission of Belgium presents its compliments to the Director General of the IAEA and, in addition to its Note P 10-92/24 of 11 January 1978, would like to draw the attention to the following.LETTER VIIThe Government of Belgium at present are not in a position to implement fully the principles for technology transfer set out in the documents attached to the above-mentioned Note because of the lack of appropriate laws and regulations. However, the Government of Belgium intend to implement these principles fully when appropriate laws and regulations for this purpose are put into force as necessary.
The Government of Belgium request that the Director General of the IAEA should circulate the text of this Note to all Member Governments for their information.
The Permanent Mission of Belgium takes this opportunity to renew to the Director General of the IAEA the assurance of its highest consideration.
The Permanent Mission of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic to the International Organizations presents its compliments to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and has the honour to refer to its Note No. 1036/78 regarding standards of the nuclear export policies which have been adopted by the members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.LETTER VIIIThe Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic greatly appreciates the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the sphere of control of the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. This activity has been an important instrument of preventing proliferation of nuclear weapons. Sharing the opinion that further strengthening of safeguards lies in the interest of universal peace, the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic has decided that it would deliver nuclear material, equipment and technology defined in a trigger list, to any non-nuclear-weapon State only in a case when the whole nuclear activity of a recipient country, and not only material, equipment and technology being transferred, are subject to the Agency's safeguards.
The Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic expressed its opinion that this principle, if observed by all the States - nuclear suppliers, could have made a great contribution toward strengthening and universality of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The Permanent Mission of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic to the International Organizations avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency the assurances of its highest consideration.
The Permanent Mission of the German Democratic Republic to the International Organizations in Vienna presents its compliments to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and has the honour, in connection with Note No. 2/78-III addressed to the Director General of the IAEA on 11 January 1978, to state the following: in the view of the Government of the German Democratic Republic, the guidelines for nuclear exports are such as to strengthen the regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the IAEA safeguards system. The German Democratic Republic will also in future advocate agreements to the effect that nuclear exports under the trigger list mentioned in the above Note should go only to those non-nuclear-weapon States that accept IAEA safeguards for all of their nuclear activities.LETTER IXThe Government of the German Democratic Republic is convinced that any reinforcement of the regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons will promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and international co-operation in this area.
The Permanent Mission requests that the present text be circulated as an official document of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Permanent Mission of the German Democratic Republic to the International Organizations in Vienna avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency the assurances of its highest consideration.
The Embassy of Japan presents its compliments to the International Atomic Energy Agency and, in reference to its Note No. J.M. 78/21 of January 11, 1978, has the honour to inform the International Atomic Energy Agency of the following.LETTER XThe Government of Japan at present is not in a position to implement fully the Principles for Technology Transfers set out in the documents attached to the above-mentioned Note because of the lack of appropriate laws and regulations.
However, the Government of Japan intends to implement these principles fully when appropriate laws and regulations for this purpose are put into force as necessary.
The Government of Japan requests that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency be good enough to circulate the texts of this Note to all Member Governments for their information.
The Embassy of Japan avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the International Atomic Energy Agency the assurances of its highest consideration.
The Permanent Mission of the Polish People's Republic to the International Atomic Energy Agency presents its compliments to the Director General of the IAEA and has the honour to refer to its Note No. 10-96/77 regarding standards of the nuclear export policies which have been adopted by the members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.LETTER XIThe Government of the Polish People's Republic greatly appreciates the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the sphere of control of the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. This activity has been an important instruments of preventing proliferation of nuclear weapons. Sharing the opinion that further strengthening of safeguards lies in the interest of universal peace, the Government of the Polish People's Republic has decided that it would deliver nuclear material, equipment and technology defined in a trigger list, to any non-nuclear-weapon State only in a case when the whole nuclear activity of a recipient country, and not only material, equipment and technology being transferred, are subject to the Agency's safeguards.
The Government of the Polish People's Republic expresses its opinion that this principle, if observed by all the States - nuclear suppliers, could have made a great contribution toward strengthening and universality of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The Government of the Polish People's Republic requests that the Director General of the IAEA should circulate the text of this Note to all Member Governments.
The Permanent Mission of the Polish People's Republic to the International Atomic Energy Agency avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Director General of the IAEA the assurances of the highest consideration.
The Permanent Mission of Switzerland presents its compliments to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and, with reference to its to day's Note No. 003, has the honour to emphasize the following.LETTER XIIThe Government of Switzerland at present is not in a position to implement fully the principles for Technology Transfers set out in the documents attached to the above-mentioned Note because of the lack of appropriate laws and regulations. However, the Government of Switzerland intends to implement these principles fully when appropriate laws and regulations for this purpose are put into force as necessary.
The Government of Switzerland requests that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency should circulate the text of this Note to all Member Governments for their information.
The Permanent Mission of Switzerland avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency the assurances of its highest consideration.
With reference to Note Verbale No. 1 from the Permanent Mission of the USSR, dated 11 January 1978, I have the honour to send you the following Declaration of the Government of the USSR:"The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics emphasizes its determination to continue its efforts to secure agreement between countries supplying nuclear materials, equipment and technology on the principle that IAEA safeguards must be applied to all nuclear activities of non-nuclear-weapon States when those States receive any of the items mentioned in the initial list referred to in the above-mentioned Note Verbale. In this connection the Government of the USSR takes the view that the principle of full control is a necessary condition for ensuring effective safeguards which can prevent nuclear materials, equipment and technology from being used for manufacturing nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. "The Government requests that the text of the present letter be distributed as an official document of the IAEA.
GUIDELINES FOR NUCLEAR TRANSFERS
Prohibition on nuclear explosives
Physical protection
Safeguards
Safeguards triggered by the transfer of certain technology
Special controls on sensitive exports
Special controls on export of enrichment facilities, equipment and technology
Controls on supplied or derived weapons-usable material
Controls on retransfer
or
the recipient of the retransfer or transfer will have provided the same assurances as those required by the supplier for the original transfer.
Physical security
Support for effective IAEA safeguards
Similarly, they should make every effort to support the IAEA in increasing further the adequacy of safeguards in the light of technical developments and the rapidly growing number of nuclear facilities, and to support appropriate initiatives aimed at improving the effectiveness of IAEA safeguards.
Sensitive plant design features
Consultations
Pending the early outcome of such consultations, suppliers will not act in a manner that could prejudice any measure that may be adopted by other suppliers concerning their current contacts with that recipient.
Upon the findings of such consultations, the suppliers, bearing in mind Article XII of the IAEA Statute, should agree on an appropriate response and possible action which could include the termination of nuclear transfers to that recipient.
TRIGGER LIST REFERRED TO IN GUIDELINES
PART A. Material and equipment
Special fissionable material when used in gram quantities or less as a sensing component in instruments; and
Metal vessels, as complete units or as major shop-fabricated parts therefor, which are especially designed or prepared to contain the core of a nuclear reactor as defined in paragraph 2.1.1. above and are capable of withstanding the operating pressure of the primary coolant.
Manipulative equipment especially designed or prepared for inserting or removing fuel in a nuclear reactor as defined in paragraph 2.1.1. above capable of on-load operation or employing technically sophisticated positioning or alignment features to allow complex off-load fuelling operations such as those in which direct viewing of or access to the fuel is not normally available;
Rods especially designed or prepared for the control of the reaction rate in a nuclear reactor as defined in paragraph 2.1.1. above.
Tubes which are especially designed or prepared to contain fuel elements and the primary coolant in a reactor as defined in paragraph 2.1.1 above at an operating pressure in excess of 50 atmospheres.
Zirconium metal and alloys in the form of tubes or assemblies of tubes, and in quantities exceeding 500 kg per year, especially designed or prepared for use in a reactor as defined in paragraph 2.1.1 above, and in which the relationship of hafnium to zirconium is less than 1:500 parts by weight.
Pumps especially designed or prepared for circulating liquid metal as primary coolant for nuclear reactors as defined in paragraph 2.1.1 above.
Deuterium and any deuterium compound in which the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen exceeds 1:5000 for use in a nuclear reactor as defined in paragraph 2.1.1 above in quantities exceeding 200 kg of deuterium atoms for any one recipient country in any period of 12 months.
Graphite having a purity level better than 5 parts per million boron equivalent and with a density greater than 1. 50 grams per cubic centimetre in quantities exceeding 30 metric tons for any one recipient country in any period of 12 months.
Clarifications of certain of the items on the above list are annexed.
Where the technology transferred is such as to make possible the construction in the recipient State of a facility of the following type, or major critical components thereof: | The following will be deemed to be facilities of the same type: |
(a) an isotope separation plant of the gaseous diffusion type............ | any other isotope separation plant using the gaseous diffusion process. |
(b) an isotope separation plant of the gas centrifuge type............ | any other isotope separation plant using the gas centrifuge process. |
(c) An isotope separation plant of the jet nozzle type............ | any other isotope separation plant using the jet nozzle process. |
(d) an isotope separtion plant of the vortex type............ | any other isotope separation plant using the vortex process. |
(e) a fuel reprocessing plant using the solvent extraction process............ | any other fuel reprocessing plant using the solvent extraction process. |
(f) a heavy water plant using the exchange process............ | any other heavy water plant using the exchange process. |
(g) a heavy water plant using the electrolytic process............ | any other heavy water plant using the electrolytic process. |
(h) a heavy water plant using the hydrogen distillation process............ | any other heavy water plant using the hydrogen distillation process. |
Note: In the case of reprocessing, enrichment, and heavy water facilities whose design, construction, or operation processes are based on physical or chemical processes other than those enumerated above, a similar approach would be applied to define facilities "of the same type", and a need to define major critical components of such facilities might arise.
CLARIFICATIONS OF ITEMS ON THE TRIGGER LIST
The Government reserves to itself the right to apply the procedures of the Guidelines to other items within the functionally defined boundary.
B. Pressure vessels
(Item 2.1.2 of the Trigger List)
C. Reactor control rods
(item 2. 1.4 of the Trigger List)
D. Fuel reprocessing plants
(Item 2. 3.1 of the Trigger List)
E. Fuel fabrication plants
(Item 2. 4.1 of the Trigger List)
F. Isotope separation plant equipment
(Item 2. 5.1 of the Trigger List)
CRITERIA FOR LEVELS OF PHYSICAL PROTECTION
CATEGORY III
Use and Storage within an area to which access is controlled.
Transportation under special precautions including prior arrangements among sender, recipient and carrier, and prior agreement between entities subject to the jurisdiction and regulation of supplier and recipient States, respectively, in case of international transport specifying time, place and procedures for transferring transport responsibility.
CATEGORY II
Use and Storage within a protected area to which access is controlled, i.e. an area under constant surveillance by guards or electronic devices, surrounded by a physical barrier with a limited number of points of entry under appropriate control, or any area with an equivalent level of physical protection.
Transportation under special precautions including prior arrangements among sender, recipient and carrier, and prior agreement between entities subject to the jurisdiction and regulation of supplier and recipient States, respectively, in case of international transport, specifying time, place and procedures for transferring transport responsibility
CATEGORY I
Materials in this Category shall be protected with highly reliable systems against unauthorized use as follows:
Use and Storage within a highly protected area, i.e. a protected area as defined for Category II above, to which, in addition, access is restricted to persons whose trustworthiness has been determined, and which is under surveillance by guards; who are in close communication with appropriate response forces). Specific measures taken in this context should have as their objective the detection and prevention of any assault, unauthorized access or unauthorized removal of material.
Transportation under special precautions as identified above for transportation of Category II and III materials and, in addition, under constant surveillance by escorts and under conditions which assure close communication with appropriate response forces.
6. Suppliers should request identification by recipients of those agencies or authorities having responsibility for ensuring that levels of protection are adequately met and having responsibility for internally co-ordinating response/recovery operations in the event of unauthorized use or handling of protected materials. Suppliers and recipients should also designate points of contact within their national authorities to co-operate on matters of out-of-country transportation and other matters of mutual concern.
TABLE: CATEGORIZATION OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL | ||||
Category | ||||
Material | Form | I | II | III |
1. Plutoniuma) | Unirradiatedb) | 2 kg or more | Less than 2 kg but more than 500 g | 500 g or lessc) |
2. Uranium-235 | Unirradiatedb) | |||
- uranium enriched to 20% 235U or more | 5 kg or more | Less than 5 kg but more than 1 kg | 1 kg or lessc) | |
- uranium enriched to 10% 235U but less than 20% | - | 10 kg or more | Less than 10 kgc) | |
- uranium enriched above natural, but less than 10% 235Ud) | 10 kg or more | |||
3. Uranium-233 | Unirradiatedb) | 2 kg or more | Less than 2 kg but more than 500 g | 500 g or lessc) |
4. Irradiated fuel | Depleted or natural uranium, thorium or low-enriched fuel (less than 10% fissile content)e),f) |
a) As identified in the Trigger List.
b) Material not irradiated in a reactor or material irradiated in a reactor but with a radiation level equal to or less than 100 rads/hour at one metre unshielded.
c) Less than a radiologically significant quantity should be exempted.
d) Natural uranium, depleted uranium and thorium and quantities of uranium enriched to less than 10% not falling in Category III should be protected in accordance with prudent management practice.
e) Although this level of protection is recommended, it would be open to States, upon evaluation of the specific circumstances, to assign a different category of physical protection.
f) Other fuel which by virtue of its original fissile material content is classified as Category I or II before irradiation may be reduced one category level while the radiation level from the fuel exceeds 100 rads/hour at one metre unshielded.