India-Euratom agreement:
The European Union (EU) and India recently committed to promoting collaboration on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy under the India-Euratom agreement.
- The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) is an international organization established under the Treaty of Rome in 1957.
- Objective is to form a common market for the development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy.
- The original members were Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
- It subsequently came to include all members of the European Union (EU).
- Euratom regulates the European civil nuclear industry, which produces almost 30% of energy in the EU.
- Euratom’s work safeguards nuclear materials and technology, facilitates investment, research, and development, and ensures equal access to nuclear supplies, as well as the correct disposal of nuclear waste and the safety of operations.
- It is governed by the Commission and Council, operating under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.
- Its main instruments are the Euratom Supply Agency and its research and nuclear safeguard activities.
- The EU has its own Joint Research Centre (JRC) in the nuclear field.
- Euratom is involved in developing atomic fusion technology, which has the potential of delivering abundant sustainable energy in the future.
