atw - International Journal for Nuclear Power | 04.2019

atw Vol. 64 (2019) | Issue 4 ı April
188
INSIDE NUCLEAR WITH NUCNET
The Key Role of the IAEA’s Integrated
Regulatory Review Service in Improving
Nuclear Safety
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responding to member state needs and making the
Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) more effective and efficient, David Senior, head of the agency’s
regulatory activities section, and Hilaire Mansoux, head of the regulatory infrastructure and transport safety
section, told NucNet in an interview.
Feedback from member states over the past five years has
been used in the development of updated IRRS guidelines
on the preparation and conduct of missions, which will be
published soon and see the implementation of further
improvements to the service
The IRRS helps IAEA member states strengthen and
improve their national regulatory framework and infrastructure
for nuclear, radiation, radioactive waste and
transport safety. In line with other safety related peer
review services offered by the IAEA, the IRRS supports
member states in applying IAEA safety standards. The
IRRS began in 2006, when the IAEA integrated several
existing regulatory review services.
IRRS teams evaluate a state’s regulatory infrastructure
for safety against IAEA safety standards, which provide the
fundamental principles, requirements and guidance to
ensure nuclear safety. The standards serve as a global
reference for protecting people and the environment and
contribute to a harmonised high level of safety worldwide.
The teams compile their findings in reports that provide
recommendations and suggestions for improvement, and
note good practices that can be adapted for use elsewhere
internationally to strengthen safety. Mission reports
describe the effectiveness of the regulatory oversight of
nuclear, radiation, radioactive waste and transport safety
and highlight how it can be further strengthened.
States that have requested an IRRS mission prepare by
conducting a “self-assessment” using an IAEA-developed
methodology and software tool. During preparations, the
IAEA and the host country meet to agree on the scope
of the mission, including by defining which regulated
facilities and activities will be reviewed.
In October 2018 the IRRS held its 100 th mission, to
Hungary, where experts carried out an eight-day follow-up
mission to review the country’s implementation of recommendations
and suggestions made during a 2015 visit.
According to Mr Senior and Mr Mansoux, the service
helps member states by identifying opportunities for
improvement, but also allows countries to learn from one
another because the results of missions are shared through
mission reports and “lessons learned” workshops.
By judging the mission against IAEA safety standards,
the service has brought about greater harmonisation of
regulatory practices amongst member states. The agency
sees the informal exchange of experience between expert
reviewers and regulatory staff across the world as another
valuable learning opportunity.
The IRRS carries out from nine to 12 missions a year
and is being used increasingly by countries that do not
have a commercial nuclear power programme but are
thinking about starting one.
The service has established itself as the “preferred
choice” for EU member states who must complete a peer
review every 10 years to comply with the bloc’s nuclear
safety directive, Mr Senior and Mr Mansoux told NucNet
In response to requests from member states, the IAEA
can also offer combined IRRS and Artemis missions. Artemis
is the Agency’s integrated expert peer review service for
radioactive waste and spent fuel management, decommissioning
and remediation programmes. It is intended for
facility operators and organisations responsible for radioactive
waste management, and for regulators, national
policy and other decision-makers.
The first combined IRRS-Artemis mission was recently
conducted in Spain. The combined mission approach option
aims to exploit the synergies between the respective reviews.
The IRRS is also available to countries that do not have
commercial nuclear power and do not have plans to introduce
it. The service helps them regulate the use of radiation
sources in industry, medicine, agriculture and research.
Mr Senior said: “High standards of nuclear safety can be
achieved through a culture of continuous improvement, and
all countries – including those with extensive experience –
can use the IRRS to improve and demonstrate closer alignment
of their national arrangements with IAEA safety
standards.”
“In short, all countries need to regulate nuclear and
radiation safety, and the IRRS programme helps them do
so in line with its safety standards,” he said.Some countries
have a well-established regulatory infrastructure, based on
decades of experience, to regulate all types of installations
and activities. Other countries are just establishing a legal
and regulatory framework for safety.
“Regardless of the approach to nuclear regulation and
the maturity of the arrangements in each country, there is
always room for improvement,” Mr Mansoux said
The IAEA safety standards are continuously evolving to
reflect developments including feedback from the IRRS
missions, and it is a continuous process to ensure that
the national regulatory infrastructure is in line with the
standards.
Challenges remain, said Mr Senior and Mr Mansoux,
particularly those associated with ensuring adequate
financial and human resources, and the independence of
the regulatory body.
NucNet was speaking to David Senior, head of the IAEA’s
regulatory activities section, and Hilaire Mansoux, head of
the regulatory infrastructure and transport safety section.
Author
NucNet
The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency
Editor responsible for this story: Kamen Kraev
Avenue des Arts 56
1000 Brussels, Belgium
www.nucnet.org
Inside Nuclear with NucNet
The Key Role of the IAEA’s Integrated Regulatory Review Service in Improving Nuclear Safety