Today ground will be broken at the IAEA′s laboratories in Seibersdorf to mark the beginning of construction on the extension to the Department of Safeguards′ Clean Laboratory.

The Clean Lab tests environmental samples to detect clandestine or undeclared nuclear activity in Member States.

The countries funding the extension are Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Spain and the United States.

The expansion coincides with the reorganization of the administrative structure of the Agency′s laboratories in Seibersdorf, as approved by the Director General on 19 January 2010. There are now three laboratories: Physics, Chemistry & Instrumentation; the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology; and Safeguards Analytical Services.

The Marine Environmental Laboratories at Monaco will become the Environmental Laboratories, and will include the newly created Terrestrial Environment Laboratory at Seibersdorf.

The groundbreaking ceremony will be followed by a programme to highlight the Agency′s activities in the area of nuclear sciences and applications.