Brussels, 06/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The final report of the ad hoc group on nuclear security stresses 32 good national practices and a raft of recommendations.
On Wednesday 6 June, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States of the EU to the Council (Coreper) took note of the final report of the ad hoc group on nuclear security, which was set up after the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power station in Japan in March 2011, to evaluate at the same time the stress tests on the power stations active in the EU in terms of safety. By request of the European Council in March 2011, the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) and the Commission reached an agreement in May 2011 on the scope and details of a global and transparent assessment of safety and security, on the basis of a double process. The evaluation of the safety of power stations, which began on 1 June 2011, covers extraordinary triggering events (earthquakes and flooding), taking account of human and organisational factors, and the consequences of any triggering event which may lead to a loss of safety functions requiring severe accident management to be set in place. The work of the ad hoc group set up in July 2011 covers the security of power stations against attempts at theft, sabotage, unauthorised access, unauthorised movement of nuclear material and other malicious acts, focusing on methods for evaluating, taking preventative measures and protecting nuclear power plants, with the aim of identifying and sharing good practices and improving general security principles on the basis of the recommendations of the IAEA.
The report, which will be submitted to the European Council of June, identifies 32 good practices covering the national legal and regulatory framework, the national security framework, design basis threat, nuclear security culture and contingency planning. It makes a number of recommendations, in respect of the principle that the security of nuclear power plants is a matter of national responsibility: - urge all member states which have not yet done so to complete as soon as possible the internal process to enable the deposit of their instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval of the 2005 amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material; - encourage the use of the IAEA's services; - encourage the use of the International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS), which covers security issues related to cyber threats; - encourage the IAEA to share, at the international level, best practices identified through the various IPPAS missions, taking due account of confidentiality requirements; - encourage regular cooperation among member states with neighbouring third countries; - continue work on nuclear security in the member states, in line with Action RN.19 of the EU CBRN Action Plan. The ad hoc group recommends increased cooperation between the member states by means of an appropriate exchange of information, for example in the framework of the European Nuclear Security Regulators Association. (EH/transl.fl)