A delegation from the Spanish nuclear regulator participates in Vienna at the main forum on the safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste

Commissioner Francisco Castejón chairs the review of Group 1, which includes countries such as Australia, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia

The presentation of the Eighth National Report of Spain is coordinated by the Miterd, with the participation of the CSN and Enresa

The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), together with the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITERD) and the National Radioactive Waste Company (Enresa), has participated in Vienna at the 8th Review Meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters. The CSN delegation, led by President Juan Carlos Lentijo, along with Commissioners Francisco Castejón and Pilar Lucio, has maintained an extensive agenda of activities and meetings during the sessions. “This forum provides an opportunity to learn about best practices and compare between countries the challenges that arise in meeting the obligations of the Convention,” noted Lentijo. 

The Joint Convention is the only legally binding instrument that addresses the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management globally. It is an important meeting not only for States with nuclear energy programmes but also for those using radiation sources in medicine, industry, agriculture, and research, fostering greater awareness of the importance of safely managing radioactive waste.

The presentation of Spain’s Eighth National Report to the IAEA has been coordinated by MITERD, with the participation of CSN and Enresa. In their presentation, the representatives of the Spanish delegation outlined the main developments since the last review meeting in 2022. The most significant milestone highlighted was the recent approval of the Seventh General Radioactive Waste Plan, which defines strategies and actions for the storage and management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. The commitment of the Spanish regulator to public information was also emphasised, underlining the importance of maintaining an open debate among all stakeholders to achieve the necessary social consensus. In this context, Lentijo highlighted that the Joint Convention represents “an excellent transparency exercise and helps to disseminate the work of international organisations as guarantors of the safe management of radioactive waste.”

Additionally, the Spanish regulator presented its 2024-2030 Human Resources Plan, which includes the strategy for attracting and retaining talent within the regulatory body. The presentation also featured Teresa Vázquez, technical director of Nuclear Safety, and Inmaculada Simón, deputy director of Environmental Radiological Protection, who provided updates on aspects related to safety and radiological protection in radioactive waste management.

The Spanish presentation, which successfully addressed the challenges identified during the previous review meeting, generated an intense dialogue among participants, allowing for further details on the information provided. In particular, Spain was recognised for its efforts in defining a roadmap with specific actions and deadlines for achieving a future deep geological repository. Likewise, the establishment of requirements for life management programmes for both spent fuel containers and storage facilities, even before the renewal of the corresponding licences, was highlighted, going beyond the standards set by the international reference guidelines.

Participants acknowledged the work made by the CSN in developing a digital radiological passport, a pioneering initiative that had already been recognised during the IRRS follow-up mission. The only challenge identified by the countries in the group was that Spain would have to carry out several simultaneous decommissioning processes in the coming years. 

Meanwhile, Commissioner Francisco Castejón chaired the Group 1 sessions during the Review Meeting, which included Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Indonesia, the Republic of Congo, Bulgaria, Poland, Vietnam, Switzerland, Ireland, Mauritius, and Saudi Arabia. The responsibilities of the group chair include the moderation of the sessions and encouraging debate among participants regarding the countries’ presentations.

The Joint Convention was adopted in 1997 and entered into force on 18 June 2001 with the aim of enhancing the safety of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management. The institutions that have signed and ratified the Convention (90 countries) meet every three years for two weeks. These sessions include plenary meetings, country group sessions, and a final plenary session where reports are presented. The forum operates through peer reviews, following several steps. First, each member submits a national report to the others outlining how it complies with its obligations under the Convention. Other countries may request clarifications on the national reports through written questions and comments. Finally, the national reports are presented and discussed during the review meeting in country group sessions.

Bilateral meeting with France

Within the framework of the Joint Convention, the CSN and the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ASNR) held a high-level bilateral meeting between the representatives of both institutions, Juan Carlos Lentijo and Pilar Lucio from the CSN, and Pierre-Marie Abadie from the ASNR. They addressed the restructuring process of the French regulatory body initiated last January, emphasising the opportunities provided by the new organisation as well as the challenges it has had to face. 

CSN and its French counterpart share a long history of collaboration. In 2023, both organisations held a meeting in Madrid, where they proposed a joint action plan to maintain their cooperation on areas of common interest. During the meeting, they reviewed the main topics of ongoing collaboration and reaffirmed their commitment to continuing along this path in light of the positive outcomes this cooperation has yielded for both organisations.

These meetings provide an ideal framework for information exchange and regulatory practices. They establish ongoing cooperation based on operational analysis in the fields of nuclear safety and radiological protection. In parallel, and on a regular basis, both regulators conduct technical meetings to exchange insights and share expertise.