The European Nuclear Security Training Centre (EUSECTRA) was specifically established to address concerns of theft of radioactive materials that could then be associated with crime and acts of terrorism. These concerns, from the widespread use of radioactive materials for medical and industrial applications are acknowledged by the international community in numerous international commitments and resolutions.

The success of the fight against illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials necessitates the mobilization and interaction of different competent authorities such as police, customs, border guards, regulators, radiation protection and expert scientists.

Located at the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, in Karlsruhe and Ispra, EUSECTRA aims to improve Member States capabilities to address the threats associated with illicit incidents involving nuclear or other radioactive materials by providing hands-on training using real nuclear materials to front line officers, their management, trainers and other experts in the field. Based on the unique combination of scientific expertise, specific technical infrastructure and availability of a wide range of nuclear materials, EUSECTRA complements national training efforts by providing realistic scenarios with real special nuclear material. The training program offers a unique opportunity for trainees to see and experience actual materials and commodities, as EUSECTRA is one of the few places in the world where a wide range of samples of plutonium and uranium of different isotopic compositions can be used for training in detection, categorization and characterization.