Greece

Nuclear regulatory authority

The Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) is the national competent authority responsible for nuclear safety and radiation protection issues. This is an independent decentralised public service having, as its primary mission, the protection of the public, workers and the environment from ionising and artificially produced non-ionising radiation. Moreover, its participation in the ‘General Civil Protection Plan’ entails responsibilities for the prevention, preparedness and response to radiological emergencies. GAEC also participates in the ‘National Emergency Plan for Nuclear, Radiological, Biological and Chemical Threats’ (NRBC).

Nuclear activities

There is one research reactor; medical units, such as teletherapy laboratories, High Dose Rate (HDR) and Low Dose Rate (LDR) brachytherapy systems, radiotherapy X-ray systems, I-125 brachytherapy laboratories, diagnostic radiology laboratories, nuclear medicine laboratories and RIA laboratories. The research facilities include one Tandem accelerator and two sub-critical assemblies, and industrial laboratories using ionising radiation devices and radiation sources. In addition, there is transportation of radioactive material, and one short-term interim storage facility.

Radioactive waste and spent fuel management

Greece has ratified the “Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management” (Law No 2824, Official Gazette of the Greek Government No 90/A/16.03.2000).
The Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom on the “Supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel”, is in the process of final signatures has been transposed to the national legislation (Presidential Decree No 83, Official Gazette of the Greek Government No 147/Α/03.09.2010).

Main legal instruments

The main legal instruments on these issues are:
Radiation protection regulations, Ministerial Decree No. 1014(FOR) 94, Official Gazette of the Greek Government, No. 16B, 06.03.01; Decree Law No. 1733, Official Gazette of the Greek Government No. 171, 22.09.87, Establishment of the Greek Atomic Energy Commission; Presidential Decree No. 404, Official Gazette of the Greek Government No. 173, 05.10.93, Organization of the Greek Atomic Energy Commission; Ministerial Decree No. 2739, Official Gazette of the Greek Government No. 165/B/15.03.1994, Regulation on informing the general public about health protection measures to be applied and steps to be taken in the event of a radiological emergency; Ministerial Decree No. 1299, Official Gazette of the Greek Government No. 423B, 10.04.2003, Approval of the General Plan for Civil Protection, under the Code Name Xenokratis; Decree Law No. 3491, Official Gazette of the Greek Government No. 207A, 02.10.06, Establishment of the supporting team for Nuclear, Radiological, Biological and Chemical Threats; Presidential Decree No. 22, Official Gazette of the Greek Government No. 20/A/26.02.1997, Supervision and control of shipments of radioactive wastes between Greece and the other Member States of the EU and into and out of the EU; and Ministerial Decree No. 10828 /EFA(1897), Official Gazette of the Greek Government No. 7859/B/10.07.2006, Control of high-activity sealed radioactive sources and orphan sources.

A complete list of Greek legislation is available at GAEC’s website: www.gaec.gr.