After the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, the European Union set up Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS), and the following year created the TACIS Nuclear Safety Program.

Since its inception, the program has been contributing to an improvement of nuclear safety in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) by transferring technology and know-how and establishing fail-safe mechanisms that have collectively contributed to the improvement of nuclear power plants and the avoidance of accidents in the years since Chernobyl.

Nuclear safety considerations also extend to the mining of uranium, the production and safe transport of nuclear fuel, handling of fresh and spent fuel and the storage, treatment and safe disposal of nuclear waste products and emergency preparedness and management.

These areas have been covered by the program together with a number of security related aspects such as assistance to safeguarding nuclear material (in order to prevent nuclear terrorism) and redirecting thousands of former weapons scientists, technicians and support staff to peaceful activities.