The 55th meeting of European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) took place on 28 November 2024 in Brussels. 21 EU MS were represented. ENSREG welcomed new members representing Belgium, Estonia, France, Italy, Latvia and Luxembourg.
ENSREG took note of the reports of the working groups. It agreed to follow up work on the assessment of Best Available Technologies expected by the Commission and confirmed that definitions of accident tolerant fuels are within the remit of each Member. Members were encouraged to reply to the questionnaire and identify key issues by the end of the year in view of preparation for a 2025 workshop on lessons learned and remaining challenges after 10 years of implementation of the Council directive 2011/70/Euratom on radioactive waste management. ENSREG also received an update from the Board for Stress Tests in Third Countries on ongoing and planned nuclear stress test peer reviews. In particular, ENSREG reviewed and endorsed, in the presence of the representative of the Turkish NRA, the final Türkiye peer review report. ENSREG encouraged Türkiye to implement the Board’s recommendations and will closely follow up to ensure that they are adequately addressed in a timely manner.
ENSREG members were informed about the preparation work ahead of a new Illustrative Nuclear Programme (PINC) pursuant to Art. 40 of the Euratom Treaty and of a planned consultatioThe next ENSREG plenary will be held in the week of 31 March 2025.n of ENSREG members on the resources available for activities linked to investments in the nuclear sector.
The Group was also updated on activities of the second topical peer review on fire protection. The finalisation of the topical peer review report is expected in early 2025. It will be followed by a review of lesson learned at a stakeholders meeting.
ENSREG supported a proposal to establish a Task Force on SMRs. Its task will be to collect lessons and good practices with early reviews and pre-assessment of specific SMR-designs and technologies by EU regulators, to interact with the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs and to identify regulatory challenges to be further addressed.
In the context of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, IAEA Deputy Director General for nuclear safety Lydie Evrard, as a special guest presented the IAEA assistance to Ukraine. ENSREG heard a report from Slovenia’s representative on the event on ‘Reviewing the nuclear security framework in case of an armed conflict (Ljubljana, 14-15 November 2024). The Head of the State Nuclear Regulation Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) provided an update on the situation at Ukraine’s Nuclear power Plants, and the situation at sub-stations critical for nuclear safety, that were again attacked in the morning of 28 November. These presentations were followed by a discussion on nuclear safety in the context of armed conflicts based on the experience of the war in Ukraine.
Members agreed on setting up a reflection group of interested Members for furthering ENSREG’s reflection on this topic.
ENSREG also supported further coordination efforts ahead of the IAEA 8th review meeting of contracting parties to the Joint Convention on safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management.
The Commission presented the state of play and next steps on the possibility to set up anew grant scheme to assist nuclear safety regulators to address emerging challenges.
ENSREG encouraged all nuclear safety regulators’ participation in the Nuclear Transparency Watch 21-22 January 2025 Aarhus Convention and Nuclear Round Table to have constructive and mutually beneficial exchanges on transparency.
WENRA chair Marc Foy presented a proposition for an ENSREG/WENRA liaison mechanism.
The next ENSREG plenary will be held in the week of 31 March 2025.
