The Spanish body underlines that regulatory effectiveness depends on integrating technical rigour with process simplification and the use of technology

CSN presents leadership strategy through safety culture and practical measures to foster flexibility and female talent

Conference highlights international cooperation as a strategic instrument to improve regulatory competence, agility, and effectiveness

The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council participates this week in Vienna in a new edition of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Conference on Effective Nuclear and Radiation Regulatory Systems. This meeting pursues to advance the strengthening of nuclear safety and radiological protection regulation based on experiences shared among the international regulatory community.

The CSN delegation, headed by its President, Juan Carlos Lentijo, Vice-President Pilar Lucio, and the Technical Director for Radiation Protection, Isabel Villanueva, has taken an active part in the working sessions on regulatory effectiveness, safety culture, gender equality, and the construction of resilient regulatory authorities. 

In the session dedicated to regulatory effectiveness, the head of the CSN highlighted that the effectiveness of the modern regulator depends on its capacity to integrate digitalisation and risk-informed proportionality as axes of a single operational strategy. On one hand, technology must be a tool not for superimposing additional layers, but for redesigning processes, simplifying flows, and reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, thereby freeing up time and resources for that which cannot be automated: expert judgment.

The President also pointed out that applying the graded approach consistently requires a combination of judgment, institutional trust and, on occasion, the courage to recognise when a requirement has ceased to provide a significant safety benefit and should no longer be imposed. On this point, he defended the need to convey teams that living with acceptable levels of risk is part of the regulatory mandate.

Lentijo also highlighted that connectivity is an essential dimension of regulatory effectiveness, not only in the relationship with society but also, and very particularly, among regulators themselves and with other competent authorities. At the international level, cooperation is not limited to technical alignment; it enables countries to draw on shared experience, make better use of resources and speak with a unified voice. This common voice strengthens legitimacy, which is particularly important at a time when regulatory independence is being questioned in some parts of the world.

Nationally, effective coordination with ministries and regional authorities is equally essential. It helps to clarify shared responsibilities, reduce institutional overlaps and deliver better outcomes in key areas such as emergency preparedness and radon protection, while also ensuring a consistent regulatory presence across the entire territory.

In his intervention on the second day, the President of the CSN presented the strategy aimed at consolidating the Council's safety culture by strengthening leadership at all levels of the organisation. This initiative arose following the results of an internal self-assessment and is aligned with the objectives of the new 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. The President highlighted that regulatory leadership must adapt to the objectives of each stage and underlined the importance of promoting profiles capable of combining results-orientation, strategic vision, and the inspiration of teams.

Flexibility in the working environment

The Vice-President of the CSN, Pilar Lucio, took part in a dialogue panel exploring how nuclear regulatory bodies can redefine flexibility at work in a way that fosters gender equality and strengthens safety culture, all while ensuring fundamental regulatory functions are maintained and the effectiveness of organisations is improved. 

Lucio emphasised the need to overcome "linear career" models, that is, those without interruptions, to avoid gender discrimination. “It is key that family responsibilities do not penalise female careers and talent.” She also stressed the need to implement appropriate systems for performance evaluation and the achievement of results to ensure that flexibility does not compromise safety.

Similarly, she pointed out that implementing practices that allow for more flexible working conditions strengthens trust and responsibility between management and staff and particularly empowers women. “When the organisation demonstrates that it prioritises the well-being of its employees and applies flexibility equitably for both men and women, an environment of collaboration and commitment is generated. This makes women feel more confident in balancing life and work without fear of compromising their professional development, thus promoting their empowerment.”

For her part, the Technical Director for Radiation Protection, Isabel Villanueva, who was part of the committee that designed the programme for this international conference, moderated the panel dedicated to creating a resilient regulatory culture, which included experts from Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

About RegCon

The purpose and objective of the conference is to provide continuity to the conclusions and deliberations of previous conferences, as well as to consider advances in regulatory systems to further improve nuclear and radiation safety and security worldwide.

The CSN carries out intensive international activity which constitutes a strength of the institution. Its presence in these forums allows it to constantly update and increase its knowledge and working best practices, thanks both to cooperation with its counterparts in other countries and through international institutions—all with the objective of maintaining the highest levels in the field of nuclear safety and radiological protection.