News Releases

CNSC and JNRC Sign Administrative Arrangement Pursuant to Canada-Jordan Nuclear Cooperation Agreement

09-22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2009

Print the PDF version of CNSC News Release 09-21

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and the Jordan Nuclear Regulatory Commission (JNRC) have signed an Administrative Arrangement pursuant to the Canada-Jordan Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (NCA) which was signed in February 2009.

The CNSC establishes bilateral Administrative Agreements with its regulatory counterparts in various countries to ensure that imports and exports of nuclear material, equipment and technology between Canada and these countries are conducted in a manner consistent with Canada’s nuclear non-proliferation policy. The Arrangement with Jordan outlines the mechanisms to be used to implement the provisions contained in the NCA.

“I am pleased that we have concluded this Arrangement with our Jordanian counterparts”, said CNSC President Michael Binder. “Establishing such Arrangements is an important and instrumental step in the implementation Canadian nuclear non-proliferation policy to ensure that Canadian nuclear exports will be used solely for peaceful purposes.”

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BACKGROUNDER

Canadian Nuclear Non-Proliferation Policy and Nuclear Cooperation Agreements (NCAs)

Canada’s policy and international commitments on non-proliferation and export controls are founded on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to which Canada is a signatory. The NPT calls upon all parties to cooperate with one another in the development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Canada’s nuclear non-proliferation policy stipulates that cooperation with non-nuclear weapons states will only be authorized for those states that have ratified the NPT or made an equivalent binding commitment, and have thereby accepted International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards on the full scope of their nuclear activities.

Canada’s nuclear non-proliferation policy also stipulates that nuclear exports can go forward only to those states which have concluded a formal NCA with Canada. The Canada-Jordan NCA was signed on 17 February 2009 and brought into force on 16 June 2009. Canada now has 27 NCAs covering 44 countries.

NCAs are legally-binding bilateral treaties which establish reciprocal obligations that are designed to minimize the risk of proliferation associated with the international transfer of major nuclear items. As a nuclear partner, Jordan is committed to a set of non-proliferation requirements, notably that Canadian nuclear exports will be used solely for peaceful, non-explosive purposes.

Bilateral Administrative Arrangements

Canada’s NCAs contain a provision authorizing the CNSC as the appropriate governmental authority on the part of Canada to establish an AA to facilitate the effective implementation of an NCA.Pursuant to section 21(1) of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA), the CNSC is authorized to enter into bilateral negotiations with regulatory counterparts for the purpose of concluding an AA.

The AA outlines the mechanisms used to implement the provisions contained in the NCA.It includes the procedures to be followed by both parties with respect to preparing and submitting Annual Inventory Reports; accounting processes for nuclear material; procedures for making items subject to the NCA and reporting their subsequent transfer; and procedures for obtaining retransfer consent and how to proceed once this has been granted.The AA functions on an agency-to-agency level to implement the commitments that are made in the NCA.

The CNSC links implementation of AA mechanisms to its authorization of the import and export of major nuclear items under the NSCA.