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European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group

Activities

The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) plays a pivotal role in enhancing nuclear safety across Europe by:

  • Monitoring and contributing to the effective implementation of Euratom nuclear safety legislation, in particular the 2009 Nuclear Safety Directive as amended in 2014 and the 2011 Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Directive.
  • Preparing and participating in the post-Fukushima stress tests on nuclear power plants in the EU and other countries including independent peer reviews of the national reports and following up on the national action plans resulting from the stress test process.
  • Conducting topical peer reviews under the amended Nuclear Safety Directive.
  • Monitoring the implementation of recommendations issued following stress tests and topical peer reviews as per the national action plans, in cooperation with the participating countries.
  • Informing the public of the work of nuclear safety regulatory authorities to increase transparency, and encouraging public involvement in nuclear safety related issues, for example through consultations and information campaigns.

More specific tasks of ENSREG are detailed in biennial work programmes, which are updated every two years to reflect evolving priorities and challenges in nuclear safety regulation. ENSREG work programmes. 

Membership

ENSREG comprises the heads of – and senior officials from – the national authorities responsible for overseeing nuclear safety and radioactive waste management in the EU Member States. Senior national civil servants with expertise in these areas also help the group with its work. The expert group’s secretariat is ensured by the services of the European Commission.

ENSREG elects a Chairperson and two Vice-Chairpersons from among its members for a two-year term, which maybe be renewed.

The Current Chairperson is Mr Juan Carlos Lentijo, President of the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN). The Vice-Chairpersons are:

  • Mr João Oliveira Martins, Director for Emergencies and Radiation Protection at the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA)
  • Mr Marco Brugmans, Vice-Chair of the Dutch Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS)

 

Plenary meetings

ENSREG activities are organised through plenary meetings and specialised working groups. ENSREG convenes at least twice a year in plenary sessions to guide its strategic direction. Agendas and minutes of these meetings are publicly available here and via CIRCA BC. 

ENSREG Subgroups

To deliver on its goals, ENSREG operates through subgroups, each led by a designated from among its members Chairperson. The groups are composed of technical experts designated by the national authorities.  Three permanent working groups cover the specific fields of ENSREG’s competence and support ENSREG in the implementation of its mission and work programme. Each working group reports to the ENSREG plenary on progress of implementing its assigned actions. In addition to its permanent working groups, ENSREG establishes time-bound subgroups to address specific thematic priorities. These subgroups operate under specific mandates, ensuring focused progress in their respective areas.

Permanent subgroups:

  1. Working group 1 on nuclear safety
  2. Working group 2 on safety of radioactive waste management, spent fuel and decommissioning
  3. Working group 3 on transparency

Time-bound subgroups:

  1. Topical Peer Reviews Board – Oversees peer review processes under the Nuclear Safety Directive.
  2. Board for Stress Tests in Third Countries – Steers stress test exercises beyond the EU.
  3. Reflection group on Nuclear Safety in the Context of Armed Conflicts – Analyses nuclear safety challenges during conflicts.
  4. Small Modular Reactors Task Force – Ensures that the highest standards of nuclear safety are taken into account for emerging SMR technologies.
  5. Fusion Energy Task Force – Explores safety considerations for fusion energy development.

 

ENSREG Observers

ENSREG benefits from the engagement of observer members in its activities:

Several non-EU countries:

 - Norway, 

- Switzerland, 

- Türkiye,

- Ukraine,

- the United Kingdom, 

 

International organisations:

 - the Council of the European Union, 

- the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 

- the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), 

- the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA), 

- the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities Association (HERCA). 

 

Board for Stress Tests in Third Countries
The Board leads and supervises peer reviews of national stress test reports of nuclear power plants in non-EU countries, in line with ENSREG’s methodology and standard practices.
Task Force on Small Modular Reactors
The Task Force works to ensure that the highest standards of nuclear safety are taken into account, in a timely manner, during the development and pre-licensing stage of SMRs in the EU.
Task Force on Fusion Energy
Task Force on Fusion Energy will support the European Commission and the ENSREG on matters about the developments on the fusion technology.