Mandate
ENSREG Working Group 1 (WG1) ‘Improving Nuclear Safety Arrangements and International Cooperation’ was established to focus on maintaining and further improving the nuclear safety of nuclear installations.
WG1 supports ENSREG in its role of providing strategic advice to the European Commission on nuclear safety matters, and reports directly to ENSREG members.
Main tasks and activities
ENSREG WG1 contributes to a range of ENSREG activities, shaped largely by the amended Nuclear Safety Directive, by:
- Providing advice and helping to coordinate efforts between regulatory bodies on key nuclear safety topics
- Offering expertise and advice on questions related to the development of nuclear energy policy and new nuclear technologies
- Supporting the implementation of the Nuclear Safety Directive and preparing guidelines for Member States to report on their progress in implementing the Directive
- Preparing the planning and monitoring the progress of the Topical Peer Reviews (TPR) on key nuclear safety topics, carried out every six years in accordance with the Nuclear Safety Directive, and contributing to developing summaries, guidelines, and lessons learned to inform future exercises
- Supporting the conduct of the IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) peer reviews in the EU Member States, by keeping an indicative programme of the IAEA IRRS missions, maintaining a pool of experts, and supporting process improvements, lessons learnt and follow-up actions
- Preparing guidelines for Member States to report on their progress in implementing the Nuclear Safety Directive
- Following up on the implementation of the post-Fukushima comprehensive risk and safety assessments (EU stress tests)
- Providing input to the EU international nuclear safety cooperation and assistance activities
- Maintaining close cooperation with the other ENSREG working groups
Specific tasks of WG1, along with clear deliverables and milestones, are specified in ENSREG work programmes.
Membership and Operation
The group is chaired by ENSREG member Ms I. Pocztarek Tofil, Director of the Policy and International Cooperation Bureau at Poland’s National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA). Each EU Member State and the European Commission can nominate up to two members in WG1. These members have expertise relevant for the group’s focus on nuclear safety. Other European countries and international organisations may be invited as observers to the WG1.
The WG1 meetings typically take place twice a year in person. Discussions within WG1 aim to achieve consensus.