2 Mar (NucNet): Slovakia’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority has strengthened its regulatory oversight and made “significant progress” since 2012, but must make further efforts to improve cooperation among state authorities in the area of radiation safety, an International Atomic Energy Agency review team has said.
The team reviewed progress in addressing the findings from an Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission conducted in 2012, the IAEA said today.
The team met with senior management and staff of Slovakia's Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Public Health Authority, Ministry of Interior, and other organisations. Andrej Stritar, director of the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration, headed the eight-member review team, which included experts from Belgium, Finland, Hungary and the UK.
The team said Slovakia had made significant progress since the 2012 mission, addressing 25 of the 31 findings of the earlier mission. The IAEA did not give details of the progress, but called it “a significant accomplishment, which demonstrates a commitment to an effective implementation of the IRRS programme”.
Marta Ziakova, chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, said: “The findings of this mission have shown that the Slovak Republic is fully engaged to align its regulatory framework for nuclear safety with the IAEA safety standards.
“Together with other relevant Slovak authorities, we will implement the findings of this mission and continue our ongoing efforts to strengthen nuclear safety.”
The Nuclear Regulatory Authority has told the IAEA that it will make the team’s report available to the public.
In November 2014 the Slovak government approved a long-term energy plan based on a further expansion of nuclear power, cautious development of renewables, and reducing dependence on locally produced and imported coal.
The framework reiterated the government’s target of building a new nuclear plant by 2030 at the Jaslovske Bohunice site, after two new reactors, Slovsnske Elektarne’s Mochovce-3 and -4, are completed.
