EU confirms Iran commitment to JCPOA

In the statement released on the occasion of the IAEA Board of Governors (12 – 16 June 2017), EU reiterated its position that it regards the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The EU statement welcomed the additional information provided in the report and the useful complementary details provided in the technical briefing on the implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA and UNSC resolution 2231. 

“We encourage the Director General to continue to provide further detailed information (as outlined in paragraph 4 of Board of Governors Resolution GOV/2015/72 of 15 December2015) in his future reports on all nuclear measures listed in all sections of Annex I of the JCPOA. This will be essential to enable the Board to have a full understanding of the ongoing JCPOA implementation and to react promptly should any issue arise,” the EU statement noted.

It added, “About one and a half year has passed since Implementation Day, which marked the beginning of Iran’s provisional application of the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement, pending its entry into force, and the full implementation of the modified code 3.1 of the Subsidiary Arrangements to its Safeguards Agreement. In this regard, the EU welcomes that the Agency continued to evaluate Iran’s declarations under the Additional Protocol and to conduct complementary access under the AP to sites and other locations in Iran. The EU restates that the early ratification of the Additional Protocol is essential.”

“We also welcome the Agency's update on LEU related activities at the EUPP at Esfahan and its confirmation that the carbon fibre used by Iran to manufacture rotor tubes has been sampled, tested and subjected to containment and surveillance measures by the Agency. We note that Iran’s stock of heavy water was 128.2 metric tones on 16 May and that through out reporting period, Iran had no more than the 130 metric tones of heavy water as prescribed by the JCPOA. We look forward to further reports by the IAEA on these topics,” the EU statement said.

The statement noted that the Agency’s verification and monitoring of Iran’s other JCPOA nuclear-related commitments continues, including those set out in sections D, E, S and T of Annex I of the JCPOA.

It added, “The EU has repeatedly stressed the need for Iran to strictly adhere to all of its commitments under the JCPOA and cooperating fully and in a timely manner with the IAEA through implementation of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, including by providing access. This is crucial for the IAEA to reach the Broader Conclusion. Together with the full and sustained implementation of the JCPOA, reaching this conclusion is essential to achieve international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program.”

Malta republic read the EU statement on behalf of the European Union member states and Turkey, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Iceland, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and San Marino.