The Euratom Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) was initially created to coordinate the Member States’ research programmes for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The Euratom Treaty today helps to pool knowledge, infrastructure, and funding of nuclear energy. It ensures the security of atomic energy supply within the frame­work of a centralized monitoring system. Euratom acts in several areas connected with atomic energy, including research, the drawing-up of safety standards, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. One of the fundamental objectives of the Euratom Treaty is to ensure that all users in the European Union (EU) enjoy a regular and equitable supply of ores and nuclear fuels (source materials and special fissile materials). To this end, the Euratom Treaty created the Euratom Supply Agency, which has been operational since 1 June 1960. The Agency has the task of ensuring a regular and equi­table supply of ores, source materials and special fissile materials in the EU. The Nuclear Illustrative Programme describes the status of the nuclear sector in the EU in 2006 and the possible developments in this sector, taking into account economic and environmental issues. ENSREG is the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group. It is an independent authoritative expert body composed of senior officials from national regulatory or nuclear safety authorities from all 27 member states in the EU. ENSREG was established as the High Level Group on Nuclear Safety and Waste Management. The European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) is a unique platform for a broad discussion, free of any taboos, on transparency issues as well as the oppor­tunities and risks of nuclear energy. Founded in 2007, ENEF gathers all relevant stakeholders in the nuclear field: governments of the 27 EU Member States, European institutions including the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee, nuclear industry, elec­tricity consumers and the civil society. EU heads of state and government adopted an energy policy for Europe which does not simply aim to boost competitiveness and secure energy supply, but also aspires to save energy and promote climate-friendly energy sources. Taking into account the sub­stantial contribution of nuclear energy to meeting these challenges, they endorsed the Commission proposal to organize a broad discussion among all relevant stakeholders on the opportunities and risks of nuclear energy.

WENRA

WENRA is a network of Chief Regulators of EU countries with nuclear power plants and Switzerland as well as of other interested European coun­tries which have been granted observer status. The main objectives of WENRA are to develop a common approach to nuclear safety, to provide an independent capability to examine nuclear safety in applicant countries and to be a network of chief nuclear safety regulators in Europe exchanging experience and discussing significant safety issues. For details, contact: info@ wenra. org.

In addition to all these organizations and institutions it is worth mentioning all the websites of national regulators and vendors which include a lot of useful information on nuclear energy.