The British government suffered a setback in its plans to leave the Euratom agreement that governs euro block countries in matters of nuclear power and radioactive material safety and security, as the House of Lords voted last week to demand the government maintain a presence in the agreement until new agreements are in force.
The House of Lords is the upper house in the British parliament. It has rebuffed the government previously in its plans to exit the Euratom accord.
The government says new agreements are on the way. It is currently negotiating with Japan and the United States to establish nuclear cooperation agreements. However, some members of Parliament are concerned that the lack of a standing agreement could result in a shortage of medical isotopes that could not be imported without international cooperation.
The government is on track to exit the European Union in 29 March 2019. The setback for the government, however, was established with a 165 to 194 upper house vote with Labor and Liberal Democrat ministers crossing the aisle to support the bill.