Item 2: Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2007
Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Candidate Countries Croatia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia, the EFTA country Iceland, members of the European Economic Area, as well as The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, associate themselves with this statement.
2. As we examine today the draft report Nuclear Safety Review for the Year 2007, contained in the document GOV/2008/2, the European Union would like to express its appreciation of the Agency’s dedication and commitment to worldwide efforts and actions to strengthen nuclear safety through its various activities.
3. The EU believes, considering the existing Global Nuclear Safety Regime, that a major challenge facing many Member States continues to be the establishment, maintenance and improvement of technical competence in regulatory bodies and technical support organizations as experienced staff retire, facilities age and the use of nuclear technology expands.
4. With this in mind, the European Union has established in 2007 a High-level Group (HLG) designed to address EU-wide nuclear safety issues, to give a political framework to the technical work that regulatory authorities have been doing to harmonize EU countries approaches to nuclear safety and waste management.
Mr. Chairman,
5. The Convention on Nuclear Safety, the Conventions on Notification and Assistance , and the Joint Convention are very important instruments aimed at continuous improvement of safety and at enhancing international cooperation in relation to safety related matters. In accordance with the provisions of these Conventions, the European Union has been promoting the establishment and maintenance of a high level of nuclear safety in the Union. The EU is strongly committed to these Conventions.
6. The 4th review meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety is organised in April this year and the EU will actively contribute to it.
The Convention’s requirement for the production and review of national reports provide meaningful opportunities for self assessment and peer review, both of which are effective tools for promotion and maintenance of a strong safety culture in the country. Furthermore, sharing safety knowledge and best practices is essential for the continuous strengthening of the global nuclear safety regime.
7. The EU calls on all States which have not yet done so, to become Contracting parties to all the safety Conventions of the IAEA without delay. Fulfilling the obligations of the Conventions and the review mechanisms as a whole provide Contracting Parties a valuable instrument of assuring that their nuclear power industries are operated with full regard to safety.
Mr. Chairman,
8. With the adoption of the Safety Fundamentals by the Board of Governors in 2006, the Agency reached a major milestone. The transition to a new safety standards structure has made good progress in all areas in 2007 and we would like to commend the work that has been conducted by the Commission on Safety Standards (CSS) and the Agency towards an Action Plan to respond to the emerging needs of IAEA Member States while maintaining a manageable set of safety standards.
9. The EU recognizes the important role which the Agency plays, and in particular the role it will play through the CSS for 2008-2011. The EU encourages the Agency’s efforts to ensure that the IAEA Safety Standards are understood and applied by industry, users and operating staff at all levels in Member States.
Thank you Mr. Chairman
[1] Croatia and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilization and Association Process
[2] Referred as the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or radiological emergency
[3] Referred as the Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management
