On 26 November 1975, the Secretariat-General of Western European Union (WEU) circulates the final reply from the WEU Council to Assembly Recommendation 264 on the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Most of the draft reply by the French delegation has been included in the Council’s reply. The Council emphasises that all member countries of WEU, whether or not they are parties to the treaty, hold firmly to the principle of non-proliferation. Given that access to nuclear techniques is important for the economic development of many countries, it encourages exchanges in this field. With regard to arms control and disarmament, the Council notes that this is an important matter for WEU Member States but emphasises that the balance of forces is the most important factor in maintaining peace. On the physical protection of nuclear material, the Council points out that this problem concerns all countries and that 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).