Nuclear Safety Co-operation Instrument (NSCI)
The Nuclear Safety Co-operation Instrument (NSCI) finances measures to support a higher level of nuclear safety, radiation protection and the application of efficient and effective safeguards of nuclear materials in third countries. Since 1 January 2007, it replaces the TACIS Nuclear Safety Programme which had covered safety of nuclear installation in the New Independent States (NIS), created as a result of the break-up of the Soviet Union.
What does it cover?
The geographic scope of the Instrument includes all third countries, and therefore is wider than that of the previous TACIS Nuclear Safety Programme. However, the first part of the implementation phase (2007-2009) continues to concentrate on the NIS (mainly Russia and Ukraine, but also Armenia and Kazakhstan). In the future, nuclear safety problems in countries of Northern Africa, ACP or Latin America will require attention.
The Instrument is designed to provide a new strategy dealing with political crisis in third countries as well as global and trans-regional threats arising from organised crime, trafficking, proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical agents.
Its aim is to finance actions in the following priority areas:
- improving nuclear safety, particularly in terms of regulatory framework or management of nuclear plant safety (design, operation, maintenance, decommissioning),
- the safe transport, treatment and disposal of radioactive waste,
- the remediation of former nuclear sites and the protection against ionising radiation given off by radioactive materials,
- emergency preparedness (accident prevention as well as reaction in the event of an accident),
- promotion of international cooperation in the field of nuclear safety.
Nuclear safety and non-proliferation actions are implemented by EuropeAid, with the collaboration of External Relations DG, the Energy and Transport DG and the technical support of the Commission’s Joint Research Centre.
How much money is available?
The NSCI has a budget of €524 million for 2007-2013.
The assistance is implemented on the basis of multiannual strategy papers and multiannual indicative programmes. The strategy papers cover one or more countries for a maximum of seven years and contain multiannual indicative programmes specifying the key objectives and indicative financial allocations. On the basis of these documents, the Commission adopts action programmes, usually on annual basis. Certain measures may be adopted although not included in the programming documents: this is the case of special measures (adopted in an emergency) and support measures (for example, technical or administrative assistance).
The indicative programme 2007-2009 has a budget of €217 million, equally divided among: measures in Russia, measures in Ukraine and needs in the other NIS countries.
Who is eligible for funding?
The entities which are eligible for funding are:
- partner countries and regions and their decentralised bodies,
- public and parastatal bodies,
- private companies,
- non-state actors such as non-governmental organisations or professional associations,
- natural persons,
- the Joint Research Centre or EU agencies,
- international organisations and financial institutions.
In case of call for proposals and tenders: each of them will specify in related documents the eligibility criteria for that specific call or tender.