Home
  • SITEMAP
  • LEGAL NOTICE
  • USEFUL LINKS
  • ENSREG at a glance
    • The role of ENSREG
    • ENSREG work programmes
    • ENSREG activity reports
    • Photo galleries
      • ENSREG conferences
        • Nuclear Safety in Europe - Third Regulatory Conference, Brussels, 29-30 June 2015
        • Nuclear Safety in Europe - Second Regulatory Conference, Brussels, 11-12 June 2013
        • Nuclear Safety in Europe – First Regulatory Conference, Brussels, 28-29 June 2011
      • Nuclear Safety in Europe - Third Regulatory Conference, Brussels, 29-30 June 2015
      • Nuclear Safety in Europe - Second Regulatory Conference, Brussels, 11-12 June 2013
      • Nuclear Safety in Europe – First Regulatory Conference, Brussels, 28-29 June 2011
    • National regulators
    • Nuclear energy in the EU
      • Austria
      • Bulgaria
      • Czechia
      • Belgium
      • Cyprus
      • Denmark
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Latvia
      • Lithuania
      • Luxembourg
      • Malta
      • The Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Slovakia
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Croatia
  • Nuclear safety
    • Regulating for safety
    • Prevention of accidents
    • Environmental monitoring
    • Emergency arrangements
      • National responsibility
      • At EU level
      • At international level
      • Events
    • Nuclear fuel cycle
    • International cooperation
  • Management of spent fuel
    • Categorisation of radioactive waste
    • Management of spent fuel
    • Existing waste management routes
    • Waste management routes under research
  • Nuclear safety and waste regulation
    • EU instruments
      • Basic safety standards directive
      • Nuclear safety directive
      • Spent fuel and radioactive waste directive
      • Other instruments
    • International conventions
    • International standards and guidance
      • NEA
      • IAEA
  • Transparency and public involvement
    • Public information
    • Public participation
  • ENSREG conferences
    • Venue
    • Programme
    • Registration
    • Presentations
    • Gallery
    • 2022 Conference
      • Venue
      • Programme
      • Presentations
      • Summary
      • Gallery
    • 2019 conference
      • Programme
      • Presentations
      • Gallery
      • Summary
    • 2017 conference archive
    • 2017 Conference
      • Programme
      • Presentations
      • Media
      • Gallery Day 1
    • 2015 conference archive
    • 2013 conference archive
    • 2011 conference archive
  • EU stress tests
    • Background and specifications
    • Country specific reports
      • EU Member States
        • Slovenia
        • Belgium
        • Bulgaria
        • Czechia
        • Finland
        • France
        • Germany
        • Hungary
        • Lithuania
        • The Netherlands
        • Romania
        • Slovakia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
      • Other countries
        • Switzerland
        • Ukraine
        • United Kingdom
        • Armenia
        • Belarus
        • Turkey
    • EU-level reports
    • Public engagement
      • Public meeting 17 January 2012
      • Public meeting 8 May 2012
    • Follow-up
    • International outreach
  • EU topical peer reviews
    • TPR background
      • TPR 1 (2017-2018)
      • TPR 2
    • TPR public engagement
      • TPR 1 (2017-2018)
      • TPR 2
    • TPR EU-level reports
      • TPR 1 (2017-2018)
      • TPR 2
    • TPR country specific reports
      • TPR 1 (2017-2018)
        • EU Member States
          • Belgium
          • Bulgaria
          • Czechia
          • Finland
          • France
          • Germany
          • Hungary
          • Italy
          • Lithuania
          • Poland
          • Romania
          • Slovakia
          • Slovenia
          • Spain
          • Sweden
          • The Netherlands
        • Other countries
          • Norway
          • Switzerland
          • Ukraine
          • United Kingdom
      • TPR 2
        • EU Member States
          • Austria
          • Belgium
          • Bulgaria
          • Czechia
          • Denmark
          • Finland
          • France
          • Germany
          • Hungary
          • Italy
          • Lithuania
          • Poland
          • Romania
          • Slovakia
          • Slovenia
          • Spain
          • Sweden
          • The Netherlands
        • Other countries
          • Switzerland
          • Türkiye
          • Ukraine
          • United Kingdom
    • TPR National Action Plans
      • TPR 1 (2017-2018)
        • EU Member States
          • Belgium
          • Bulgaria
          • Czechia
          • Finland
          • France
          • Germany
          • Hungary
          • The Netherlands
          • Romania
          • Slovakia
          • Slovenia
          • Spain
          • Sweden
          • Italy
          • Poland
        • Other countries
          • Switzerland
          • Ukraine
          • United Kingdom
      • TPR 2
    • TPR workshops
      • TPR 1
      • TPR 2
        • TPR 2 thematic workshop
        • TPR 2 country review workshop
  • The role of ENSREG
  • ENSREG work programmes
  • ENSREG activity reports
  • Photo galleries
  • National regulators
  • Nuclear energy in the EU
    • Austria
    • Belgium
    • Bulgaria
    • Croatia
    • Cyprus
    • Czechia
    • Denmark
    • Estonia
    • Finland
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Hungary
    • Ireland
    • Italy
    • Latvia
    • Lithuania
    • Luxembourg
    • Malta
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • Romania
    • Slovakia
    • Slovenia
    • Spain
    • Sweden
    • The Netherlands
Documents News

Related documents

Safe Management of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste
Spent fuel and radioactive waste directive
Nuclear Safety and Waste Regulation
Waste management routes under research
  1. Home
  2. ENSREG at a glance
  3. Nuclear energy in the EU
  4. Austria

Austria

Nuclear regulatory authority

In Austria, the legislative and executive powers are divided between the federal state and the provinces. On the federal level, the regulatory responsibilities are allocated by the Radiation Protection Act as follows:

  • The Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) is the competent regulatory authority for the TRIGA Mark-II Research Reactor and accelerators at the universities, as well as a small number of X-ray facilities and sources in connection with the reactor or the accelerators. The BMK is responsible for the protection of people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation, except for radiation matters in the medical field and foodstuff, military applications, et.al. The BMK is also the regulatory authority for issues relating to the management of radioactive waste, including the siting, construction and operation of storage facilities. Finally, the BMK is responsible for general affairs of nuclear co-ordination.
  • The Federal Minister of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection is responsible for radiation protection matters in the medical field and with regard to foodstuff.
  • In principle, the Head of the Federal Provinces is the competent licensing and inspection authority for all other practices.

Nuclear activities

In 1978, the Austrian electorate decided in a referendum not to start the operation of the constructed nuclear power plant in Zwentendorf. Immediately thereafter, nuclear power was banned by a simple law. In 1999, the Austrian parliament passed unanimously the Constitutional Law on a Nuclear-free Austria. It stipulates, inter alia, that installations which serve for energy generation by nuclear power must not be constructed, nor, if they already exist, come on line. Austria has one research reactor facility (TRIGA Mark II, owned by the Technical University of Vienna) in operation, which is a nuclear installation as defined in the Euratom Nuclear Safety Directive.

Radioactive waste and spent fuel management

Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf (NES) operates the centralized Radioactive Waste Management Facility in Seibersdorf for pre-disposal management of all low- and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILW) originating from Austria. High-level radioactive waste (HLW) does not arise. The waste originates primarily from applications in medicine, research, industry and ongoing decommissioning projects. There is no disposal facility for radioactive waste in operation.

The fuel used in the TRIGA Mark II reactor constitutes a loan from the US Department of Energy (DoE) as stipulated in a treaty between the Technical University of Vienna, Euratom and the US DoE. These fuel elements are to be returned back to the USA.

Main legal instruments

The main legal instruments are the following:

  • Constitutional Law on a Nuclear-free Austria [BGBl. I No. 149/1999].
  • The Radiation Protection Act 2020 [BGBl. I Nr. 50/2020] provides the legal framework for the protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, radioactive waste management and for the safe operation of research reactors in Austria.
  • The General Radiation Protection Ordinance 2020 [BGBl. II Nr. 339/2020] stipulates more detailed legal requirements for radiation protection, radioactive waste management and nuclear safety.
  • Interventions in emergency as well as in existing exposure situations are required by the Intervention Ordinance 2020 [BGBl. II Nr. 343/2020].
  • The Radon Protection Ordinance, [BGBl. II Nr. 470/2020] establishes the framework for measures to protect people from the dangers of radon.
  • The Radioactive Waste Shipments Ordinance, [BGBl II Nr. 41/2009, last revised with BGBl. II Nr. 331/2020 establishes the procedures for the approval of shipments between Member States and to/from third countries.
  • The Medical Radiation Protection Ordinance [BGBl. II Nr. 375/2017, last revised with BGBl. II Nr. 353/2020] regulates in more detail the protection of individuals against harm resulting from ionizing radiation in medicine.

Last updated in August 2021

Move to top button
Ensreg website footer logo
  • SITEMAP
  • LEGAL NOTICE
  • USEFUL LINKS