EU Statement at IAEA Board of Governors on agenda item 4: Nuclear and Radiation Safety
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The EU thanks the Director General for the report on “Nuclear and Radiation Safety” as contained in document GOV/2022/35.
The EU and its Member States attach vital importance to nuclear safety and its continuous improvement. Promoting an effective safety culture and continuously implementing the highest possible nuclear safety and radiation protection standards remain at the core of our values in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Furthermore, the EU and its Member States will provide support for the continuous improvement of nuclear safety and radiation protection worldwide – notably through the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC), with a budget of € 300 million for 2021-2027. The EU initiated stress-tests also continue in some of the EU’s neighbouring countries and we encourage them to implement the recommended actions in a timely manner.
Chair,
Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has severe implications on nuclear safety and especially the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains alarming. Seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security deriving from the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance outlined by the IAEA Director General must be ensured during an armed conflict. The Russian Federation must stop its unlawful aggression against Ukraine and immediately withdraw all its armed forces and military equipment from the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
The EU strongly supports the IAEA’s efforts to assist Ukraine and commends the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia (ISAMZ) to assess the state of nuclear safety and security on site and to perform urgent safeguards activities. We believe that the IAEA’s permanent presence provides for a positive contribution to the situation at the ZNPP as well as for receiving timely and impartial information.
We remain highly concerned over findings contained in the IAEA Director General’s reports, in particular over the continued shelling of the Zaporizhzhia NPP that has already caused significant physical damage and frequent off-site power supply disruptions. This represents a constant threat.
Further, the presence of Russian’s military and Rosatom technical staff at the ZNPP has put the Ukrainian operating staff under constant high stress and pressure and could interfere with their decision-making. This is unacceptable. Any restrictions of access and lack of functional communication could jeopardize the emergency response.
Chair,
We appreciate the Agency´s continued commitment and attention to ensuring that Safety Standards remain fully applicable and up-to-date. In addition to the pivotal role of the standards, we underline the instrumental importance of the Agency´s peer review and advisory services. All EU Member States hosted or will host both IRRS and ARTEMIS missions. We encourage all Member States, especially those that have not done so recently and embarking countries, to request such missions, to timely implement recommendations and to publish mission reports for the sake of transparency.
We reaffirm our strong commitment to all relevant international nuclear safety conventions and we are committed to enhancing effective and efficient international peer review processes under these instruments, with a particular emphasis to prepare the upcoming Joint 8th and 9th Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. We underline the need for all Contracting Parties to fulfil and abide by their legal obligations and consistently address nuclear safety issues. We call upon the Agency to continue outreach activities to promote the universalisation and implementation of these instruments. We note the outcomes of the 7th Review Meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management held in June-July.
Effective emergency preparedness and response (EPR) arrangements and capabilities should be a priority for every Member State. We encourage all Member States to make use of the Agency´s channels and existing operating arrangements to share notifications and monitoring data.
In a similar vein, development of decommissioning strategies and plans, including accurate cost estimates and work on final disposal solutions must be an essential part and addressed early on in any nuclear power or radiation technology programme. We urge Member States to seek and apply safe, environmentally acceptable and long-term management solutions for radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Important milestones have been reached by some EU Member States with regard to deep geological disposal facilities, however a lot of work remains to be done. We stand ready to share our experience and lessons learned and call upon the Agency to continue advancing discussions on deep geological disposal and related safety aspects.
We welcome the Secretariat’s continued efforts to systematically tackle safety aspects of ageing management, including physical ageing and technical obsolescence, and long-term operation. We encourage the IAEA to further enhance its assistance to Member States in capacity-building and knowledge management.
We continue to closely monitor developments related to the safety of advanced nuclear technologies, such as Small and Medium Sized or Modular Reactors (SMRs) and acknowledge the establishment and work carried out so far under the Agency-wide platform on SMRs and their Applications. We welcome the Director General’s Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization (NHSI) initiative. We encourage the Agency to continue to attach due emphasis to these aspects and to provide assistance to Member States in this regard.
Finally, the EU emphasises the importance of gender equality in all aspects of the Agency’s work, including nuclear safety.
Thank you, Chair.