The withdrawal of North Korea from the Nonproliferation Treaty, or NPT, has caused great concern among members of the international community. The pillars of the 1994 Framework Agreement between the United States and North Korea and the policy that led to the establishment of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, better known as KEDO, in 1995 are losing their relevance.
The European Union has shown a keen interest in the North Korean situation from the outset. It has provided extensive humanitarian and technical assistance as well as food aid to the people of the North. As a member of KEDO since 1997, the EU has cooperated with the U.S., Japan and South Korea toward ensuring the dismantling of existing North Korean nuclear facilities, providing for the North's short-term energy needs and constructing safe and modern nuclear reactors according to the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA.
In fact, the EU has earmarked 100 million euros ($110 million) for KEDO for the period 2001-2005. Of course, following recent developments, the whole KEDO project has been practically frozen.