Euratom

The European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) is an <a href="/facts/International_organization/6yJu9qNB">international organisation</a> established by the <a href="/facts/Euratom_Treaty/cjxeazCK">Euratom Treaty</a> on 25 March 1957 with the original purpose of creating a specialist market for <a href="/facts/Nuclear_power/jzSyvxSn">nuclear power</a> in Europe, by developing nuclear energy and distributing it to its member states while selling the surplus to non-member states. However, over the years its scope has been considerably increased to cover a large variety of areas associated with <a href="/facts/Nuclear_power/jzSyvxSn">nuclear power</a> and <a href="/facts/Ionising_radiation/vw0d9GaT">ionising radiation</a> as diverse as safeguarding of <a href="/facts/Nuclear_materials/K4FIY8KE">nuclear materials</a>, <a href="/facts/Radiation_protection/5LaNNgXe">radiation protection</a> and construction of the International Fusion Reactor <a href="/facts/ITER/SkpWL87b">ITER</a>.
It is legally distinct from the <a href="/facts/European_Union/6GYcR8qM">European Union</a> (EU) although it has the same <a href="/facts/Member_state_of_the_European_Union/hsFC1pJH">membership</a>, and is governed by many of the <a href="/facts/Institutions_of_the_European_Union/IEm4202Q">EU's institutions</a>; but it is the only remaining community organisation that is independent of the EU and therefore outside the regulatory control of the European Parliament. Since 2014, <a href="/facts/Switzerland/LcGuxeTe">Switzerland</a> has also participated in Euratom programmes as an associated state.
The United Kingdom <a href="/facts/Brexit/M80B3fIg">ceased to be</a> a full member of the organisation on 31 January 2020. However, under the terms of the <a href="/facts/EU%E2%80%93UK_Trade_and_Cooperation_Agreement/6MsjHpAp">UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement</a>, the United Kingdom participates in Euratom as an associated state following the end of the <a href="/facts/Brexit_withdrawal_agreement/XG5mM0CE">transition period</a> on 31 December 2020.

Euratom open-in-new

Euratom