A two-week International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review of the nuclear safety regulatory system for Romania has urged Romania to improve the resources of the regulator CNCAN.
Team leader Greg Rzentkowski of Canada said: "The Romanian government is committed to its international obligations, but national arrangements for safety should be enhanced by addressing some urgent issues. I was impressed to see the great commitment of the CNCAN staff to continuously improve nuclear safety."
The IRRS team suggested:
-Fully developing and implementing national policies and strategies for the nuclear sector;
-Providing sufficient financial and human resources for CNCAN, and more flexibility to manage its own organizational structure, so it can meet all its nuclear safety responsibilities;
-Completing the review and revision of safety regulations; and
-Further developing and implementing CNCAN's management system.
The 15-person review, requested by Romania, was a peer review based on the IAEA Safety Standards. It was not an inspection, nor an audit, and it followed earlier safety reviews Romania has requested over the past several years. Norway supported the mission with a grant from the Norwegian Cooperation Programme for Economic Growth and Sustainable Development in Romania.
The mission's scope covered the Romanian nuclear regulatory framework for all types of facilities, including the two operating CANDU 6 reactors at Cernavoda, the operating research reactor at Pitesti, and the research reactor under decommissioning at Bucharest-Magurele.
The IAEA team coordinator David Graves said, "I've been pleased by Romania's openness and transparency. The country has a strong history of inviting IAEA safety review missions, setting a good example for the international community."
The IRRS team highlighted several features of the Romanian regulatory system, including:
-Romania has a legal infrastructure to fulfil its commitments to all relevant international nuclear safety conventions and obligations;
-CNCAN is independent and has the legal authority to effectively implement its regulatory obligations;
-Romania's regulatory framework is comprehensive and covers the necessary facilities and activities;
-The CNCAN staff is highly competent and dedicated;
-Safety and security oversight efforts are properly coordinated and integrated; and
-CNCAN conducts its activities with stakeholders in an open and transparent manner.
