EU and Iraq complete a project to enhance the capacity of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority
The European Union (EU), together with its Iraqi partners, has successfully implemented a project aimed at supporting the Regulatory Body of Iraq on Radioactive Waste Management, Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities and Remediation of Contaminated Sites in accordance with the highest standards of safety and best international practice adopted in the EU. The project is ending in February 2020.
In the framework of the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) financed by the European Commission (EC), Project IQ3.01/14 (Contract INSC/2016/360-091) “Support to the Regulatory Body of Iraq on Radioactive Waste Management, Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities and Remediation of Contaminated Sites” was successfully implemented. The Beneficiary of this Project was the Ministry of Environment (MoEN) of Iraq and the End- User was the Iraqi Regulatory Body, the Radiation Protection Centre (RPC) within the MoEN. The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) of Iraq was also indirectly involved in the project.
As communicated by the EC during the final meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey, on 30 and 31 January 2020, “This project is of paramount importance in assisting Iraq in regulating the decommissioning of the existing nuclear facilities, radioactive waste management, and remediation of contaminated sites“
The End User considers the project to be new basis for further progress in the field of nuclear waste management in Iraq.
Background
Following the Chornobyl accident in 1986, the EU launched a nuclear safety programme under the TACIS (Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States) which, between 1991 and 2006, allocated some €1.3 billion to nuclear safety and security projects. From 2007 to 2013, the EU expanded its nuclear safety assistance to third countries under the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation with a total budget allocation of €524 million.
In June 2014, the strategy for the implementation of Phase 2 of the INSC (2014-2020) was agreed, committing an extra €225 million for nuclear safety projects.
Iraq had a significant nuclear programme in the past. All the nuclear facilities and sites were destroyed in 1991. The Iraq Decommissioning Project (IDP) was initiated in 2006 after a request from the Government of Iraq (GoI) to the IAEA in December 2004, with the aim to assist Iraq in planning for, and decommissioning of, the damaged nuclear facilities, and manage the resulting radioactive waste, remediating the contaminated sites, as well as drafting the relevant legal and regulatory framework. In 2009 the EU launched a coordinated effort to contribute to this program.
Project Details
In the framework of the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) financed by the European Commission (EC), Project IQ3.01/14 (Contract INSC/2016/360-091 ) “Support to the Regulatory Body of Iraq on Radioactive Waste Management, Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities and Remediation of Contaminated Sites” was signed on 10 February 2016 between the European Commission and ANDRA (Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Déchets Radioactifs in France), so-called the Consultant / Contractor, leader of a Consortium made of ANDRA (France) with SUJB (Czech Republic) and LEI (Lithuania), European Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) and Technical Support Organisation (TSO) respectively.
The Overall objective of the Project IQ13.01/14 was to enhance the overall capabilities of the regulatory body RPC and its personnel in all aspects of their mission, including improvement of the regulatory infrastructure, the licensing process and licensee oversight, the regulation and oversight of nuclear safety and radiation protection of radioactive waste (RW) management activities, decommissioning and remediation. The aim was to achieve, in all the regulatory activities, a level of efficiency in line with international standards, and consistent with the best practice of EU and the recommendations of the IAEA.
The Contract initially planned over a period of 36 months until 9 February 2019 was extended to 48 months until 9 February 2020, to review the licensing of the planned Al-Tuwaitha RW Disposal Facility (ATDF) close to Baghdad. The Constructor and future licensee of the ATDF was the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) of Iraq.
For more information on this project:
EU: Mr Xavier Pinsolle, Programme Manager (INSC), xavier.pinsolle@ec.europa.eu
Iraq: Mrs. Bushra Ali Ahmed, Ministry of Health and Environment, Radiation Protection Centre bushra2211@yahoo.com
Contractor: ANDRA : Soufiane MEKKI, soufiane.mekki@andra.fr