Zoeken

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreed on 14 July 2015 concludes the long process of negotiations concerning Iran's nuclear programme. A political understanding by the parties concerned, it aims to ensure that Iran's nuclear programme will be exclusively peaceful, in exchange for termination of restrictive measures against Iran. The deal received a generally positive reaction in Europe and Asia but mixed reception in the US and the region.

Iran's new President, Hassan Rouhani, has stated his intention to improve Iran's ties with the West. This change in tone raised hopes for a deal on Iran's nuclear programme. The recent talks in Geneva were not a breakthrough, but they did restart the dialogue.

This Briefing Paper examines the legal basis of EU policy towards Iran in the context of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) legal framework. Its major emphasis is on the compatibility of the Paris Agreement concluded between the EU and Iran on 15 November 2004 with the stipulations of the NPT. In addition, the Briefing Paper addresses also the issue of Tehran’s reduced cooperation with the IAEA and its repeated threats to withdraw from ...