The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN by its acronym in Spanish) participated in the thirty-fifth Regulatory Information Conference (RIC) held in Rockville (MD) from March 14 to 16. A delegation of the CSN, led by Commissioner Elvira Romera and the Technical Director for Nuclear Safety, Teresa Vázquez, attended the event. Organized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC), this edition – the first in-person meeting after the pandemic- brought together around 3.000 participants from 30 different countries, according to the organisers.

The meeting included a special address by Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who was recently nominated for a new mandate. In addition, Christopher T. Hanson, Chairman of the USNRC, and William D. Magwood, Director General of the OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), held a fireside chat on the challenges facing nuclear regulation and the use of ionising radiation in the near future.

The RIC program included technical sessions, panel discussions and presentations on current issues for regulatory bodies, the administration and the nuclear industry. It covered aspects related to organisational management in regulators, regulation and oversight of nuclear facilities and the fuel cycle. It also addressed the licensing process of new reactor designs and emerging technologies (i.e. nuclear fuel), emergency management, safety and security of spent fuel, long-term operation and innovation.    

The technical sessions focused on specific and innovative topics such as the development of new reactor designs, the possible applications of artificial intelligence, the adaptation of the emergency preparedness model for small modular reactors and the use of nuclear technology in space. Other topics included the decommissioning of nuclear power plants, effective global communication in the event of an emergency and the study of the effects of low-dose radiation on human health.

International Strategy

CSN's presence in this forum is part of its international activity, which is one of the institution's strengths. On the one hand, it allows it to constantly update and improve its knowledge and working practices. On the other hand, it intensifies cooperation with counterparts in other countries.

These activities are included in the regulator's Strategy for International Relations, which addresses the four strategic objectives of the regulator that frame its international activity in accordance with its functions and define the lines to be followed. The strategic objectives are: promotion of international activity, representation of the CSN abroad, relations with counterparts and returns inherent to the CSN’s international activity. All this with the aim of maintaining the highest standards in nuclear safety and radiation protection.