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The accumulated amount of radioactive contaminated material in the region is a threat to the environment and to the health of the population.

Many of the uranium legacy sites are concentrated along the tributaries to the Syr Darya River, which runs through the densely populated Fergana Valley, the agricultural centre of the region which is shared by the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The EBRD has significant expertise in the management of multilateral funds and the efficient delivery of large nuclear safety assistance programmes. Currently, the Bank operates seven multilateral funds with total donor contributions of more than €4 billion. The Bank and the European Commission have been working closely together on nuclear safety programmes since the 1990s.

Vince Novak, EBRD Director, Nuclear Safety, said: “This new fund is a recognition of the urgent need to act in regards to the uranium mines and deposits in Central Asia, and of the expertise and know-how the EBRD has accumulated in the area of nuclear decommissioning. We welcome the initiative by the European Commission and at the same time invite other donors to join this highly important effort.”