News

Launch of the Iraq Nuclear Decommissioning Project webpages

A new web area has been launched for the project to decommission the Iraq former nuclear complex. Both IAEA and the Government of Iraq view this overall decommissioning programme with the greatest importance, whilst recognising that it presents many technical and organisational challenges. Many of the nuclear sites and facilities, arising both from the legitimate Iraqi nuclear research programme and from its former covert activities, have been extensively damaged through warfare, thereby presenting unique decommissioning difficulties.

The web feature aims to support the ongoing work on this project by providing information to external stakeholders, including potential technical collaborators, supporting governments, other international organisations and the media.

Peer review service on decommissioning established and the first mission prepared for 2008 to UK

In response to the increased request for technical assistance, the IAEA has prepared a new peer review service for planned and ongoing decommissioning projects. It is aimed to complement the existing international peer reviews, such as OSART (Operational Safety Review Team) and IRRS (International Regulatory Review Service).

The objective of the international decommissioning peer review service mission is to provide an independent review of the activities associated with the planning and implementation of decommissioning in accordance with the international safety standards, other relevant recommendations and good practice in Member States in this field. The first peer review is planned to be performed at the Bradwell site (Magnox NPP) in UK in June 2008, coordinated by Patricio O'Donnell.

The outcomes of this review will be presented and discussed at a technical meeting at the IAEA headquarters in November 2008.

IAEA and UN harmonize international regulations

Harmonization of various international regulations is necessary to avoid misinterpretations and to ensure the safe, secure and expeditious transport of radioactive material world wide. By implementing the GC(50)/RES/10 the IAEA and the UNECE have established a process by which differences between their regulations can be reconciled. The 2009 edition of the IAEA Transport Regulations (TS-R-1) and the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (Orange Book) are expected to encompass the first results of such a process.

Open-ended Meeting on the Code of Conduct

Open-ended Meeting of Technical and Legal Experts on the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources: Lessons Learned from Implementing the Supplementary Guidance on Import and Export Controls, Vienna, Austria, from 26 to 28 May 2008.

Following the recommendations of the last meeting on sharing information as to State’s implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of radioactive sources (June 2007), the IAEA is organizing this meeting to provide a forum for States to share lessons learned in applying the Code’s supplementary Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources “Import/Export Guidance”, with a view to strengthening its harmonized implementation. This meeting will be attended by more than 150 delegates from more than 85 countries.

Archive news

International Action Plan for Occupational Radiation Protection

The third meeting of the Steering Committee was held at the IAEA headquarters on 28 to 30 January 2008 in response to a recommendation of an international conference on Occupational Radiation Protection at the Headquarters of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva in August 2002, the Agency and ILO formulated an International Action Plan on Occupational Radiation Protection. The overall objective of this plan is to focus the efforts of the relevant international organizations, in particular the Agency and ILO, to assist their Member States in establishing, maintaining and, when necessary, improving programmes for the radiation protection of exposed workers. To ensure the successful implementation of this action plan, these two organizations established a Steering Committee having a general remit to advice on and monitor the practical implementation of the action plan.

The first and second meetings of the Steering Committee were held at the Headquarters of the Agency in Vienna, from 4 to 6 February 2004, and from 25 to 27 January 2006, respectively.