IAEA OKs Additional Protocols With 18 States

During its June 8–12 meeting, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors approved protocols for additional nuclear safeguards with three nuclear-weapon states and 15 non-nuclear-weapon states. The board's action raises to 26 the number of states that have concluded agreements granting the Vienna-based agency additional inspection powers while committing countries to new nuclear reporting requirements.

The 35-member Board of Governors approved additional protocols between the agency and the United States, Britain, France, Canada, Ghana, and the 13 states (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden) of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). The IAEA's agreements with the United States, Britain and France are limited in that they do not cover military facilities, and are directed chiefly at providing the agency with additional information about nuclear commerce with non-nuclear-weapon states.

The IAEA hopes to have completed additional protocols for all 135 states (and Taiwan) with safeguards agreements in time for the next review conference of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2000.