CERCA – France, The United States of America and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have proposed an international program to reduce the enrichment of uranium in research reactors through conversion of the high enriched uranium fuel in nuclear fuel containing low enriched uranium. The Government of Romania on May 2006 has joined to this program and actively supported political, scientific, technical and economic actions that led to the conversion of the core reactor fromTRIGA 14 MW within the Institute of Nuclear Reserch in Pitesti.

This confirms the continuity of the Romanian Government policy on non-proliferation and the actively support of the international cooperation. The conversion of the Pitesti research reactor was made possible by covering research steps establisleed in the "Agreement for the conversion of the research reactor", signed with the United States Department of Energy America and the ARGONNE National Laboratory. This agreement has provided the scientific and technical support and the possibility of delivery in the United States of America of about 65% of the fuel needed to start the conversion in the period 1992-1994. Further conversion was promoted through technical cooperation program funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency – project ROM/4/024 which provides the sustainbility of the technical and scientific efforts and the delivery of the nuclear fuel containing low enriched uranium to complete the conversion.

The nuclear fuel necesarry to complete the conversion was manufactured by the French company CERCA under a tripartite agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency – CERCA – Romania. The contract was financed by the US Department of Energy and the voluntary contribution of the Romanian Government. The manufacturing and delivery contract of the fuel containing low enriched uranium by CERC company ensured the compliance with company quality, delivery schedule and safety requirements set aut in IAEA standards and Romanian legislation. The project implementation was supported by the Departments ongoin technical cooperation, safeguards, legal, procurement and not at least of Nuclear Security of the International Atomic Energy Agency. For the Romanian research, the conversion of TRIGA core reactor demonstrates the international cooperation ability, professional competence to carry aut on long-term of the multiple unique works that ensured the elimination of the use of fuel containing high enriched uranium to fulfill the romanian research programs. In the same time, the conversion was a premier in TRIGA reactors domain, ensuring the reactor operation without constraints for the researchs necessary to support the Romanian nuclear energy and the international cooperation. The realisation of this project through international cooperation has allowed the fulfilment of the political commitments to reduce the use of enriched uranium in the research reactors and gain a useful experience that will be used in case of many conversion projects of IAEA.