Hungary

Nuclear regulatory authority

The Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA) is responsible for the licensing and regulatory supervision of nuclear facilities, nuclear and radioactive materials, export-import, transport and packaging of nuclear and radioactive materials (www.haea.gov.hu).

The Ministry of National Resources regulates the licensing of other installations associated with the handling of radioactive material or waste, as well as the use of ionising radiation generating equipment.

Further governmental, executive and supervisory activities associated with the use of atomic energy, such as physical protection, emergency preparedness, environment protection, etc., fall within the shared competence of the HAEA and other ministries and authorities.

Nuclear activities

There are four VVER-440/213 (PWR) reactor units operated by the Paks NPP. By the end of 2009 an upgrade of the primary side has been performed on all units to increase the nominal power by 8% resulting in about 500 MWe generated power by each unit. The Lifetime Extension Program of the Paks NPP has been approved by the HAEA and the preparation for the extension for further 20 years beyond the planned lifetime (30 years) is continued.

Budapest is the location of the Budapest Research Reactor (10 MWth VVER-SM type) of the KFKI Atomic Energy Research Institute and the Nuclear Training Reactor (100 kWth pool type) of the Institute of Nuclear Techniques of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

There are also medical units and industrial radioactive sources.

Radioactive waste and spent fuel management

The Public Limited Company for Radioactive Waste Management (PURAM) established by the HAEA is responsible for the operation of the existing nuclear waste storage facilities and the preparation for the final disposal of high level radioactive waste and the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. A Central Nuclear Financial Fund was established by the Act on Atomic Energy to finance the tasks of radioactive waste and spent fuel management. The Fund is constituted by the payments of those institutes where the radioactive waste is generated.

The Interim Spent Fuel Store facility is situated at Paks, next to the plant site of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant connected to its south part.

The National Radioactive Waste Repository is under construction at Bátaapáti (for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste); the surface part of which is already in operation, the underground part will be ready in 2012.

The Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility (for institutional radioactive waste) is in operation at Püspökszilágy.

Main legal instruments

The main legal instruments on nuclear and public information issues are:

• Act CXVI (1996) on Atomic Energy;
• Government Decree 112/2011 (VII. 4) on the scope of activities of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority in connection with its international obligations including the European Union, its authority and penalizing rights, the assignments of its co-authorities and on the Scientific Committee assisting the HAEA`s activity
  (Regulation for establishing an authorization system, responsibilities of the operator, inspection and enforcement)
• Governmental Decree 118/2011 (VII.11.) on the nuclear safety requirements for nuclear facilities and the procedures of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority in nuclear safety regulatory matters
  
  Annex No.1: Nuclear Safety Code Volume 1
  Authority procedures applied to nuclear facilities
  
  Annex No. 2: Nuclear Safety Code Volume 2
  Management systems of nuclear facilities
  
  Annex No. 3: Nuclear Safety Code Volume 3
  General requirements for the design of nuclear power plants
  
  Annex No. 4: Nuclear Safety Code Volume 4
  Operational safety requirements of nuclear power plants
  
  Annex No. 5: Nuclear Safety Code Volume 5
  Design and operation of research reactors
  
  Annex No. 6: Nuclear Safety Code Volume 6
  Design and operation of spent fuel storage facilities
  
  Annex No. 7: Nuclear Safety Code Volume 7
  Site assessment of nuclear facilities
  
  Annex No. 8: Nuclear Safety Code Volume 8
  Decommissioning of nuclear facilities
  
  Annex No. 9: Definitions of nuclear safety codes
  
  
• Governmental. Decree 167/2010 (V. 11.) on the National Nuclear Emergency Preparedness System
• Governmental decree 144/2011. (VII. 27.) on the regulation of intenational transfer of nuclear and nuclear dual use items (Import and export controls of nuclear material and items)
• Government Decree 190/2011. (IX. 19.) on physical protection requirements for various applications of atomic energy and the corresponding system of licensing, reporting and inspection
• Act CXII of 2011 on the right of Personal Data Protection and Freedom of Information
• Act CLV of 2009 on the Protection of Qualified Data 

Other legal instruments are available on the HAEA`s website at: http://www.haea.gov.hu.