Office for Nuclear Regulation
An agency of HSE

The UK’s Additional Protocol and its implementation

The UK has also agreed, with the IAEA and Euratom, a protocol additional to its voluntary offer safeguards agreement. The UK Additional Protocol differs from that signed by NNWS in that in that it contains those measures of the model Additional Protocol that will either:

  • contribute to increasing the IAEA’s capability to detect undeclared nuclear activities in Non Nuclear Weapon States; or
  • improve the effectiveness or efficiency of IAEA safeguards at facilities in the UK designated for inspection.

The UK Additional Protocol entered force on 30 April 2004.

The Nuclear Safeguards Act 2000 is the legislation that implements the UK’s Additional Protocol. The Nuclear Safeguards (Notifications) Regulations 2004 implement certain provisions of the Nuclear Safeguards Act 2000.

The UK’s Additional Protocol requires provision to the IAEA of information on relevant activities only where it will contribute to increasing the IAEA’s capability to detect undeclared nuclear activities in a NNWS. Information on activities that are conducted for internal UK purposes, or in co-operation with or otherwise relevant to, another NWS (i.e. China, France, Russia or the USA) does not need to be provided.

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Updated 03.11.11