Nuclear materials

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The term 'nuclear materials' has different definitions in the German Atomic Energy Act (Atomgesetz) and in the Euratom Safeguards Regulation.

• German Atomic Energy Act
  
  For the application of the provisions relating to liability and financial security, the term "nuclear materials" shall have the meaning of nuclear fuel (other than natural and depleted uranium) and radioactive products and waste.

• Euratom Safeguards Regulations
  
  'Nuclear materials' means any ore, source and special fissile material:

  • 'Ores' means any ore containing, in such average concentration as shall be specified by the Council acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, substances from which the source materials defined above may be obtained by the appropriate chemical and physical processing.

  • 'Source materials' means uranium containing the mixture of isotopes occurring in nature; uranium whose content in uranium-235 is less than the normal; thorium; any of the foregoing in the form of metal, alloy; chemical compound or concentrate; any other substance containing one or more of the foregoing in such a concentration as shall be specified by the Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, and any other material which the Council may determine, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission. The words 'source materials' shall not be taken to include ores or ore waste.

  • 'Uranium enriched in uranium-235 or uranium-233' means uranium containing uranium-235 or uranium-233 or both in an amount such that the abundance ratio of the sum of these isotopes to isotope 238 is greater than the ratio of isotope 235 to isotope 238 occurring in nature. 'Enrichment' means the ratio of the combined weight of uranium-233 and uranium-235 to the total weight of the uranium under consideration.

  • 'Special fissile materials' means plutonium-239; uranium-233; uranium enriched in uranium-235 or uranium-233, and any substance containing one or more of the foregoing isotopes and such other fissile materials as may be specified by the Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission; the expression 'special fissile materials' does not; however, include source materials nor ores or ore waste.

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