The CSN delegation, headed by its President, plans to meet with the Director General of the IAEA

As Chairman of ENSREG, Juan Carlos Lentijo addressed an event dedicated to challenges in nuclear safety during armed conflicts

 

A delegation from the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council, led by its president, Juan Carlos Lentijo, is participating in the 68th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which began yesterday in Vienna and will conclude next Friday. The meeting brings together representatives of Member States, international organisations, and non-governmental organisations to discuss the current situation of the sector and its challenges.

The IAEA General Conference is an annual event which focuses primarily on presenting the status and improvements that strengthen the international agency's nuclear safety and security programs. It also addresses other issues relevant to the CSN, such as waste management, technology applications, technical cooperation, and improvements in the effectiveness of safeguards systems.

At the opening ceremony, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, highlighted the Agency's work and achievements over the past year. The head of the Agency emphasized the 'Atoms 4 food' assistance program, through which the IAEA helps developing countries by using agricultural techniques that apply ionizing radiation to combat pests and improve the nutrition of arable soils. Grossi also praised the assistance programs for countries with fewer resources to develop medical applications for cancer detection and treatment. Finally, he listed the initiatives that the IAEA is undertaking, such as the ZODIAC disease prevention project and scholarships for students in the Marie Slodowska-Curie program.

The CSN delegation includes, alongside its President Juan Carlos Lentijo, Commissioners Pilar Lucio and Elvira Romera. During the event, the CSN representatives are expected to hold a working meeting with Rafael Grossi to discuss issues of interest to both institutions. In addition, the CSN delegation will hold meetings with other heads of IAEA departments.

An intense parallel agenda is being developed, such as the participation of Juan Carlos Lentijo in the session dedicated to international challenges in nuclear safety during armed conflicts. In this event, Lentijo, as Chairman of the European Nuclear Regulators’ Group (ENSREG), presented, in addition to the work program of the association and its position since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. During this time, ENSREG has issued several statements offering its support to the Ukrainian regulatory body and the country to maintain and restore nuclear safety. In addition, Lentijo highlighted ENSREG's coordination with other international institutions, such as HERCA, WENRA, and the IAEA itself, during this period.

The highest representative of ENSREG listed some of the future proposals and emphasized the need for the international community to formalize the relevant principles to ensure nuclear safety in armed conflicts. For this purpose they were discussing how to carry it out through a new specific international convention on this matter or by including it as a specific principle in the IAEA Safety Fundamentals.

The event highlighted the challenges of nuclear safety during armed conflicts, including the lessons learned since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, among which both international assistance to the regulator and the restoration of regulatory control at a nuclear facility stood out.

On the other hand, Lentijo attended the meeting of the International Nuclear Regulators Association (INRA) where, among other issues, the evaluation of the potential impact and benefits of the application of artificial intelligence in nuclear safety and regulatory processes was addressed.

INRA holds two meetings a year to discuss regulatory issues of common interest. This international association promotes transparency, multilateral cooperation, and the exchange of experiences among its member countries. Since May of this year, it has been chaired by the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN).

Commissioner Elvira Romera participated in the plenary meeting of the Ibero-American Forum of Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Bodies (FORO), 

where a review of the recent activities in which its representatives have participated was carried out. The CSN Commissioner also addressed the status of the technical program and the upcoming events in which the FORO will participate, such as the 10th Latin American Congress of Medical Physics to be held next March.

Throughout this week, the FORO will hold several meetings with IAEA representatives, in which it will praise the good relations between the two institutions and the strategic link they both form in the Ibero- American region.