Fighting the illicit trafficking of nuclear material also means putting increased effort into detection capabilities. The international community is deploying a great effort in addressing this issue, in particular by supporting beneficiary countries in developing, enhancing and upgrading their capabilities. Equipment for the detection of nuclear and radioactive materials at crucial nodal points is provided worldwide by major donor States. The European Commission especially through its Joint Research Centre (JRC) is a key player in the field, as demonstrated in the Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS) programme and as foreseen in the Instrument for Stability (IfS). Within these two programmes, the JRC supports the fight against illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials, and is implementing specific projects dedicated to border monitoring. In its green paper on detection technologies adopted in 2006, the European Commission attempted to put forward ideas on how to improve the access of law enforcement authorities to high quality detection tools. Testing and qualifying the related equipment remain crucial for the credibility and usefulness of technology in the field of combating the illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials.
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