The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) has participated in the autumn plenary meeting of the Western European Nuclear Regulators' Association (WENRA), held in the city of Bath, United Kingdom. A delegation from the Spanish regulator, led by its President, Juan Carlos Lentijo, and the Technical Director for Nuclear Safety, Teresa Vázquez, attended the Association's Plenary, which focused on strengthening collaboration and harmonising nuclear safety standards among member countries.

The meeting brought together the heads of the Western Europe’s nuclear safety regulatory bodies with the objective of addressing the main technical and strategic challenges facing the sector, exchanging experiences, and strengthening international cooperation in the field of regulatory oversight.

During the meeting, discussions covered WENRA's governance and membership criteria, as well as the follow-up on its working groups, concerning the safety of radioactive waste management and decommissioning activities, research reactors and power reactors safety. Furthermore, a review was made of the nuclear safety situation in Ukraine, whose regulator is a member of WENRA and keeps the rest of the members promptly informed.

The meeting served to discuss about the cooperation with other European organisations, such as the European Technical Safety Organisations Network (ETSON) and the European Nuclear Installations Safety Standards Initiative (ENISS), and especially with the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG). Current regulatory challenges were also analysed, such as the dedication of Commercial Grade Items (CGI) in nuclear installations and the implications of the political and technological context for the activities of regulatory bodies.

WENRA has launched a technical activity aimed at understanding the regulatory approach in member countries concerning climate change and its impact on nuclear safety. Additionally, the association agreed on several position papers regarding the regulatory requirements and safety expectations linked to the Lifetime Extension and Long-Term Operation (LTO), as well as on the processes for public participation within the framework of Periodic Safety Reviews (PSR).

The CSN underscored the importance of European coordination in tackling common challenges within the sphere of nuclear safety. The President of the regulator emphasised that technical cooperation among European regulatory bodies is essential to "maintain and reinforce a robust safety culture," commented Lentijo, who noted that forums like WENRA allow for joint progress "towards harmonised and efficient approaches."

The meeting concluded with the confirmation of the upcoming plenaries. The Spring 2026 meeting will be held in Stockholm (Sweden), while the autumn plenary will be hosted by the CSN in Madrid on the 5th and 6th of November next year.

About WENRA

The Western European Nuclear Regulators' Association (WENRA) is composed of the regulatory authorities from EU countries with nuclear reactors, alongside Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Its objectives are to develop a convergent position on nuclear safety matters and to establish a forum for nuclear regulators in Europe to exchange experiences and discuss issues that influence continuous improvement in their field.

The high-level representatives designated by the national regulators meet twice a year in the Plenary, the association's decision-making body. Additionally, the Association has three permanent working groups dedicated to the harmonisation of reactor safety requirements (RHWG), the safe management of radioactive waste and decommissioning (WGWD), and nuclear safety in research reactors (WGRR). It also establishes task groups with specific mandates to address ad-hoc initiatives.

The CSN is one of the founding members of this association and has played an active role in its evolution, participating both in its plenary meetings and in the permanent working groups that develop guides, guidelines, and reference levels on topics such as radiological protection and safety.