Swedish regulator hosts Western European Nuclear Regulators’ Association spring meeting to address the deployment of new technologies

Members drive harmonisation of safety and regulatory practices through common Safety Reference Levels

The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council has participated in the plenary meeting of the Western European Nuclear Regulators’ Association (WENRA), held in Stockholm. A delegation from the Spanish regulator, led by its president, Juan Carlos Lentijo, and the technical director for Nuclear Safety, Teresa Vázquez, attended the organisation's plenary session in the Swedish capital, which focused on further strengthening technical collaboration and the harmonisation of nuclear safety regulations and practices among its member countries.

The meeting brought together the heads of Europe’s leading nuclear safety regulators to analyse the main technical and strategic challenges facing the sector, share experiences, and consolidate international cooperation in the field of regulation and regulatory oversight.

During the sessions, participants worked to share experiences and harmonise regulatory practices in the areas of nuclear safety, waste management, and decommissioning. This effort is channeled through the association’s primary instrument, WENRA Safety Reference Levels.

The Plenary dedicated a prominent space to emerging technologies and the analysis of potential approaches for their regulation and oversight. Topics discussed during the meeting included the support provided by regulatory bodies regarding technological safety for naval nuclear propulsion and advancements in fusion regulation, while also maintaining a strong focus on the nuclear safety situation in Ukraine. In this regard, a detailed analysis of the status of nuclear safety at the country’s facilities has been carried out since the beginning of the conflict, with the participation of the Ukrainian regulator (SNRIU) to coordinate support actions in oversight, logistics, and personnel. 

The meeting also served to analyse the results of the Convention on Nuclear Safety organised by the IAEA, fostering dialogue among regulators regarding the conclusions and common challenges resulting from the recent tenth Review Meeting of the international convention. Regarding the European regulatory framework, preparatory work continued for the third edition of the Topical Peer Review under the Nuclear Safety Directive (TPR-III).

Furthermore, the chairs of WENRA’s working groups addressed issues such as the harmonisation of safety requirements for reactors, radioactive waste and spent fuel management and decommissioning, and safety in research reactors. Additionally, the Plenary debated the process for consolidating the association’s common positions within the framework of the statements recently published by the organisation.

At the conclusion of the sessions, Spain’s designation as the host country for the next Plenary meeting, for the upcoming autumn, was made official. The Spanish delegation, led by President Lentijo, expressed its satisfaction in taking over the arrangement of this forum, an appointment that consolidates the active role and firm commitment of the CSN to nuclear safety at a European level.

The active participation of the Spanish regulator in forums such as WENRA constitutes a key element in moving forward together toward harmonised and efficient approaches that allow for the consolidation of a robust nuclear safety culture in Europe.

About WENRA

The Western European Nuclear Regulators’ Association (WENRA) is comprised of the regulatory authorities of EU countries with nuclear reactors, alongside Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine. Its objectives are to develop a convergent position on nuclear safety matters and to build a forum for nuclear regulators in Europe to exchange experiences and discuss issues influencing continuous improvement in their field.

High-level representatives designated by national regulators meet twice a year at the WENRA Plenary, the association’s decision-making body. Furthermore, the association has three permanent working groups dedicated to the alignment of nuclear safety requirements for reactors (Reactor Harmonisation Working Group, RHWG), the safe management of radioactive waste and decommissioning (Working Group on Waste and Decommissioning, WGWD), and nuclear safety in research reactors (Working Group on Research Reactors, WGRR). It also establishes task forces with specific mandates to address ad-hoc initiatives.