An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission has completed a peer review mission in the Netherlands to assess the nuclear security regime.
The 13-day mission was carried out at the request of the Government of the Netherlands and hosted by the Dutch Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS). It is the fifth such mission to the Netherlands.
The team reviewed the nuclear security regime for nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities and activities, including computer security. It also assessed the Netherlands’ implementation of the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its Amendment.
The IPPAS team comprised 10 experts from Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, as well as one IAEA staff member. The team met in the Hague with senior officials and representatives from ANVS. The team assessed physical protection systems at the Petten High Flux research reactor, the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Antoni van Leeuwenhoek) in Amsterdam and Applus RTD in Rozenburg. Members of the IPPAS team also visited the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. (
The team concluded that the Netherlands is committed to a high level of nuclear security and that it has further strengthened its nuclear security capabilities since the last IPPAS mission in 2012. The team provided recommendations and suggestions to support the Netherlands in further enhancing and sustaining nuclear security. Good practices were identified that can serve as examples to other IAEA member states to help strengthen their nuclear security activities.
“This fifth IPPAS mission in the Netherlands confirms the country’s continuous commitment and efforts on building a strong nuclear security regime. The mission’s findings indicate a well-established national nuclear security regime and alignment with the IAEA nuclear security guidance,” said Arvydas Stadalnikas, Head of the Integrated Nuclear Security Approaches Unit at the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security.
“The 2023 IPPAS mission is an enriching experience for the ANVS, with a long period of intense preparation and two weeks of thorough review by a great team of international experts …. The feedback helps us to further improve the level of nuclear security in the Netherlands,” said Annemiek van Bolhuis, chair of the board of the ANVS. “As an independent regulator, it is crucial to commit to international peer reviews and to follow up on the recommendations that we received.”
Image: Members of the IPPAS team at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam (courtesy of ANVS)
