On 30 September 1975, the Secretariat-General of Western European Union (WEU) circulates a draft reply from the WEU Council, prepared by the French delegation, to Assembly Recommendation 264 on the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The document confirms that the Council is not in a position to express an opinion on the working of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), since not all WEU Member States are parties to the treaty. Given that access to nuclear techniques is important for the economic development of many countries, trade in this field is encouraged. With regard to arms control and disarmament, the balance of forces is the most important factor in maintaining peace. On the physical protection of nuclear material, a more in-depth examination of this question is being carried out by the European Economic Community (EEC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).