The UK's Nuclear Industry Association has welcomed confirmation of the government's intention to seek associate status to Euratom R&D programmes. NIA chief executive Tom Greatrex stressed however that this is just one part of the current Euratom framework, and progress in replicating other vital areas is still needed before the UK leaves the treaty, as part of its exit from the European Union, in March 2019.

The European Commission and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran have confirmed their continuing commitment towards implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, following a visit by European commissioner for climate action and energy Miguel Arias Cañete to Tehran.

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation has laid its latest Corporate Plan before Parliament in which it lists its ten priorities for 2018-2019. These include developing a new regime to meet safeguarding obligations following Parliament's decision to exit Euratom, along with measures to support the implementation of new emergency planning arrangements as a result of the Basic Standards Directive.

The European Commission has launched an investigation into whether public support received by Romania's National Uranium Company is in line with European Union state aid rules. Romania notified the Commission in June last year of a restructuring plan for the company, which has been in financial difficulty since the loss of its main customer, nuclear utility Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica SA.

As long as Iran continues to implement its nuclear related commitments, as it is doing so far, the European Union will remain committed to the continued full and effective implementation of the nuclear deal, the EU's High Representative and Vice-President Federica Mogherini said yesterday. "We fully trust the work, competence and autonomy of the International Atomic Energy Agency that has published ten reports certifying that Iran has fully complied with its commitments," she said.

By combining flexible nuclear power plant operation with the use of variable renewable energy sources, Europe will be able to ensure security of energy supply while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, according to the European nuclear trade body Foratom. However, it calls for an EU energy policy that creates the right market and regulatory conditions for this to happen.

Reducing emissions must remain a priority for Europe, and replacing phased-out nuclear plants with coal will not achieve this, French President Emmanuel Macron told the European Parliament last week

Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator Energoatom expects the country's Cabinet of Ministers to approve soon tender documentation to attract a private partner for the 'energy bridge' project. The project aims to make the export of electricity to the European Union possible by disconnecting unit 2 of the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant from the Ukrainian national grid, and to attract funding required to complete units 3 and 4 at the plant.

The UK government has been defeated twice in the House of Lords over its plans for nuclear cooperation after its leaves the European Union next year, the BBC has reported. They also backed a plan requiring the UK to report to Parliament regularly on its future arrangements with Euratom.

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation has published a guide on how it can work with dutyholders to improve safety and security activity in the nuclear industry. The document, Holding to Account and Influencing Improvements - Enabling Regulation in Practice, features a number of case studies which place enabling regulation in the context of the legal and practical obligations on ONR and industry dutyholders.

Terrestrial Energy of Canada has signed a contract for technical services with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in Karlsruhe, Germany. Under the contract, JRC will perform confirmatory studies of the fuel and primary coolant salt mixture for Terrestrial's Integrated Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR).

A consortium led by Westinghouse Electric Company has completed an EU-funded project aimed at diversifying the supply of fuel to Russian-built VVER-440 reactors in Europe.