\"Evolution of the European Commission Cooperative Support Programme to IAEA\"

The Cooperative Support Programme between the IAEA and the European Commission started formally with an exchange of letters on May 7th, 1981. Objective of this cooperation/support is to exchange with the IAEA the technical experience developed within the Commission services over many years in Safeguards R&D and implementation. The EC support programme in the last years contained typically 15-20 Tasks at any time and is based on an extensive cooperation with similar EU Member States’ programmes and with other safeguards and support programmes, as with Canada, Japan, Russian Federation and US. The main areas of cooperation are : - Measurement techniques, including destructive analytical techniques and particle analysis, non destructive assay, volume and weight measurement and calibration - Surveillance and sealing/identification techniques - Information treatment of classical Nuclear Material Accountancy, as well as treatment of information linked with the new Integrated Safeguards - Training of inspectors in the application of different techniques developed at the JRC or jointly used with EURATOM inspectors in EC facilities. In the above areas, the cooperation/support with IAEA results in providing technical assistance, harmonization of R&D procedures and techniques, training and technology transfer. For a few years now, important changes have taken place in the international safeguards and non-proliferation scenario: the paper presents the main achievements and discusses the evolution of the EC Cooperative Support Programme in the last 10 years, in consequence of the above changes. The need to improv