The European Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA) was created by a decision of the Council of the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) to manage the activities in the field of nuclear energy and with the general objective of encouraging the rational development and utilisation of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. A steering Committee for nuclear energy composed of representative from all member and associated countries was the controlling body of the ENEA. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) changed the name of this organisation to the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency on the 20 April 1972 when Japan became the first non-European Member to join.
The initial work of the Agency comprised the creation of joint undertakings: the European Company for the Chemical Processing of Irradiated Fuels (Eurochemic Company) for reprocessing irradiated fuels at Mol in Belgium, the Halden Reactor Project in Oslo, Norway and the Dragon High Temperature Reactor Project at Winfrith in the UK. Another important objective of the ENEA was the harmonisation of national research programmes, encouraging scientific and technical co-operation between member countries and the exchange of information and personnel. A third aim of the Agency was the development of uniform atomic regulations for Europe, especially in the fields of health, safety, liability and radio-active materials and lastly the study of economic aspects of nuclear energy and assessment of the place of nuclear power in Europe's overall energy balance sheet. Apart from these primary objectives the ENEA was involved in nuclear ship propulsion, security controls, nuclear data correlation and environmental radioactivity.
Aside from the Steering Committee, the ENEA comprised a committee of top level experts and a number of technical study groups and working parties. The Agency worked in close liaison with other international organisations concerned with nuclear energy in Europe, especially Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).