Euratom Supply Agency (ESA)

Overview

• Role: Maintain a regular and secure supply of nuclear material (ores, source material and special fissile material) for all EU users. 
• Director-General: Ms Agnieszka Kazmierczak 
• Set up: 1960 
• Number of staff: 17
• Location: Luxembourg
• Website: Euratom Supply Agency

What it does

The Agency – officially the Supply Agency of the European Atomic Energy Community – was created by the Euratom Treaty. It is also called the Euratom Supply Agency (ESA).

The Agency’s main task is to ensure security of supply of nuclear materials and nuclear fuel for all EU users. It caters for the needs of utilities producing nuclear energy, research reactors, producers of medical radioisotopes, and the nuclear supply chain industry. 

ESA monitors the nuclear market and alerts on the trends that constitute a threat to the security of the EU’s supply of nuclear materials for power and non-power uses. It may take actions on its own (e.g. memorandum of understanding with US for availability of specialised materials and fuel for research and medical uses) or it may propose measures to the European Commission.

ESA is the only body that can sign contracts for supplying ores, source materials and special fissile materials in the EU, and it may refuse to conclude a contract. The Agency’s decisions with respect to the supply contract may be challenged before the Commission as checks and balances to the Agency’s powers. In the few cases of appeal against Agency decisions, the Commission confirmed the decisions and did not use its veto right. 

Who benefits

• EU utilities benefit from a secure supply of materials for power generation.
• Households and entities (enterprises, schools, hospitals) in the EU benefit from nuclear energy.
• Nuclear medicine doctors and patients benefit from materials necessary for the supply of medical radioisotopes.
• Scientists benefit from nuclear materials that enable their research. 
• Industry active in nuclear services and nuclear medicine benefit from availability of materials. 
• European Commission benefits from the Agency’s expertise on the nuclear fuel cycle market.
• International organisations (International Atomic Energy Agency, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency) benefit from the Agency’s expertise.