Safety of nuclear installations, including in conflict scenarios, and new technologies: the 56th ENSREG meeting concluded in Brussels

Outcomes of the 8th Review Conference of the Joint Convention just concluded in Vienna, the process of the second Topical Peer Review nearing completion, dedicated to deepening the issue of fire protection in nuclear installations, outcomes of the 7th ENSREG Conference of June 2024 dedicated to the regulatory aspects of advanced and/or innovative reactors (Advanced or Small Modular Reactors): these are some of the issues addressed during the 56th ENSREG (European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group) meeting, which met at the European Parliament in Brussels. Also on the agenda were the planning of the next Conference, which will be held in 2026, the independent safety assessments of nuclear installations in non-EU countries according to the stress test methodology adopted in Europe, the safety situation of nuclear installations in Ukraine and, on the basis of this experience, how it can be guaranteed in situations of armed conflict, the strengthening of public and stakeholder participation in assessments and decisions on nuclear safety of nuclear installations and safety in the management of radioactive waste and irradiated fuel.

All the nuclear safety authorities of the European Union participated in the meeting, including ISIN, as well as observers from the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Ukraine.

A relevant topic addressed during the meeting concerned the activities launched by ENSREG on safety assessments and authorization procedures for the development of new generation modular reactors (SMR), with the establishment of a specific task force with the task of interacting on the topic with the Industrial Alliance established at European level and the future developments of the activities of the pre-partnership promoted by the European Commission.

In relation to the Topical Peer Review on fire protection (TPR II), Lamberto Matteocci of ISIN, Vice President of the Board of TPR II, presented the status of the activities for the preparation of the final reports, in view of a public meeting to be held soon.

The meeting was also an opportunity to strengthen and start collaborative relationships with other regulatory authorities responsible for nuclear safety. In particular, the director of ISIN Francesco Campanella started a dialogue with representatives of the Spanish Nuclear Safety Authority for the stipulation of a collaboration agreement including technical exchanges and visits to installations of interest, such as, for example, in view of the construction of the National Repository, the surface disposal plant for low-level radioactive waste at El Cabril, which has been operating in Spain for years.

Among the ongoing activities of the ENSREG Working Groups, two Workshops organized by WG2 on radioactive waste management are worth mentioning: one, which will take place in Brussels on 10 and 11 June 2025, will be dedicated to comparing the experiences of the various EU countries on the application of Directive 2011/70 on the safe management of irradiated fuel and radioactive waste 10 years after its emission, the other will take place in Luxembourg on 7 October 2025 on the topic of issues related to the management of non-nuclear waste (industrial and medical).