Report about activities of ENSREG

Andrej StritarChairman of ENSREGDirector of the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration

12. October 2009

Content

Nuclear Energy in Europe Nuclear Safety History Activities

– Nuclear Safety– Radwaste Management– Transparency

Future

Introductory Facts

In European Union … … there are almost 150

power reactors… …in 15 EU member

countries, producing ~1/3 of all

electricity in EU

We must keep them operating safe!

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Assuring Nuclear Safety

InternalQuality Control

StateSupervision

REGULATOR

IndependentMedia

PUBLIC

Worker

OPERATOR

•G

•G

Physical Safety Limits

EU Legal Framework

National Legal Framework

Licensed Limits for the Facility

Operating Procedures

System of operating limits

•G

IAEA and other

interna-tional

standards

Regulation of Nuclear Safety and Radwaste Management in EU

National responsibility Nuclear Regulator in every nuclear EU

state National legislations are in line with

international standards EURATOM Treaty is not explicitly

addressing nuclear safety Until this summer there was no common

EU legal framework

International Framework

Nuclear EU states are members to the– Convention on Nuclear Safety and – Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel

Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management

IAEA standards, codes and guides OECD/NEA – enhancing co-operation WENRA – voluntary common “standards”

- reference levelsIAEA = International Atomic Energy AgencyOECD/NEA = Nuclear Energy Agency of OECDWENRA = Western European Nuclear Regulators Association

Developments leading to ENSREG

First desires to set common nuclear safety framework almost a decade ago

EC attempt with two directives in 2003 failed

Years of discussions in the Council followed

In spring 2007 Council concluded and Commission decided to establish a High Level Group (HLG) on Nuclear Safety and Radwaste Management

ENSREG consolidation

All 27 EU members designated top nuclear regulators into HLG, now ENSREG

First meeting in October 2007 Initial issues:

– Relationship Member States – Commission– Decisions by consensus– Defining Rules of Procedure– Setting priorities of work

ENSREG three main areas

Improving Nuclear Safety arrangements

Improving spent fuel, radioactive waste management and decommissioning arrangements

Improving arrangements for transparency

Three working groups established

Nuclear Safety:Possible EU Instruments

Expectations from ENSREG to advise Very obvious division among the

members of ENSREG

Pro: EU should harmonize

this area EU rules prevent from

potential deterioration in member states

Stakeholders wanted it

Contra: Responsibility must

remain national National demands

could be higher from EU

Nuclear Safety:Possible EU Instruments 2

Commission presented first draft of new Directive on 15. October 2008

Intensive discussions followed ENSREG defined 10 basic principles

Nuclear Safety:10 Basic Principles

1. Maintain and seek to continuously improve nuclear safety and its regulation, and add value.

2. Just as every Member State has the right to decide to use nuclear power or not, so every Member State has the right to impose more stringent nuclear safety requirements than those commonly applied.

Nuclear Safety:10 Basic Principles – cont.

3. Allow flexibility and not fundamentally change a Member State’s national nuclear regulatory approach.

4. Seek to enhance, not reduce, the power, roles, responsibilities or capability of the national nuclear regulatory body.

5. Do not expand the role of the Commission in regulatory decision-making or activities or introduce other bodies

Nuclear Safety:10 Basic Principles – cont.

6. Do not divert resources away from national nuclear regulatory responsibilities or international nuclear safety cooperation.

7. Be compliant with the principles/obligations of the Convention on Nuclear Safety.

8. Any proposals should be non-discriminatory towards those who use or do not use nuclear power.

Nuclear Safety:10 Basic Principles – cont.

9. Seek to improve the transparency of nuclear safety and its regulation.

10.Be clear on the roles and responsibilities of any organisations involved.

These 10 principles were later reflected in the

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2009/71/EURATOM

Nuclear Safety:Use of IRRS

Member States should participate in IAEA IRRS– Self-evaluation ASAP– Invite colleagues from other EU members to

participate– IRRS mission at least every 6 years– Compile all EU IRRS reports to establish

common lessons learned

IRRS = Integrated Regulatory Review Service

Nuclear Safety:Use of the Convention on Nuclear Safety

Contacting Parties must prepare a written report every three years

EU Member States should agree on common lessons learned

Human Resources and Safety Culture should be subject to more in-depth study

Radioactive Waste Management

National programmes should be established

Benchmarking and Peer Reviews

Use of Joint Convention results for common lessons learned

Support to the Council in passing the resolution about radioactive waste management

Transparency

Development of the EU Nuclear Safety Web site

– Due by the end of 2009

Development of good practice guidance regarding transparency for nuclear regulators

Future

Continue with implementation of the programme

Play a role in implementation of the Nuclear Safety Directive

Advice EU bodies on potential future initiatives

Launch EU Nuclear Regulatory Conference

Flexibly respond to all relevant initiatives

My personal views for the end

We have formal legal systems to maintain order,

but we are all real people, driven by our emotions and living in the real world.

We need to feel each other in order to understand each other and improve

ENSREG was a very positive step towards better understanding among everybody involved in nuclear safety and for future improvement

My personal views for the end – cont.

EU Nuclear Regulators now know each other personally

We understand and respect each other Commission knows us and understands

us We are all learning from each other and

improving our national arrangements

My personal views for the end – cont.

ENSREG should remain a valuable platform for crucial think tank on EU level about nuclear safety issues

Responsibilities for nuclear safety must remain on national level in the hands of those, who live close to the nuclear facilities

Exchange of practices and ideas for continuous improvements must be encouraged