ASPECTS OF UNANNOUNCED INSPECTIONS - A VIEW OF THE ESARDA WG ON INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS

Unannounced inspections (UI) are already provided for in the INFCIRC/153 type Safeguards Agreements. In proposed approaches for the application of Integrated safeguards UI also play a major role. They will allow the Agency much faster access to relevant locations in a facility than any other type of inspection. Additional valuable synergy effects for the Agency’s safeguards measures under the Additional Protocol can be expected from the combination of UI with Complementary Access (CA). Application of UI has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand it places the potential diverter in a permanent state of uncertainty and can be used to detect and deter from undeclared activities in a facility and, thus, can be an efficient and cost effective tool to cover a range of diversion scenarios. However, on the other hand, UI imposes additional burden to facility operators and increases the danger that inspections may interfere with planned operational activities. This paper discusses the pros and cons of the application of unannounced inspections from the view of the facility operators and national authorities as discussed within the ESARDA Working Group on Integrated Safeguards1.