The IAEA from December 2013 to October 2016 conducted a project to support the safe transport of radioactive material in the Mediterranean region. The project was launched following a European Commission study that concluded that national deviations and disparities in regulatory requirements and practices hampered trans-boundary transport of radioactive material. The project, part of cooperation conducted under a Memorandum of Understanding on Nuclear Safety signed by the IAEA and the European Union in September 2013, supported work to create more resilient, efficient, and sustainable transport of radioactive material in the region.
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C.3. Strengthening of an effective compliance assurance regime in transport of radioactive material in the european southern neighbourhood region (mediterranean sea) and associated shipping states
Outcomes
- The establishment of a sustainable system of mutual support, cooperation and coordination for routine and emergency transport of radioactive material.
- A basis for developing harmonised provisions with respect to European Commission directives and the relevant IAEA safety standards.
- The establishment of a forum in which Member States in the region cooperate to enhance coordination on the transport of radioactive material, including in emergencies or in relation to non-compliant border incidents.
Beneficiary Countries: Countries of the Mediterranean Region
The project was conducted by the IAEA with supplementary funding from the European Union.
Project Events
A training workshop was held in Vienna in December 2013 on Compliance Assurance and Self-Assessment of Regulatory Infrastructure for Safety which was attended by 10 participants from 9 Member States from the Mediterranean Region.
During a Peer Review Workshop on the Results of Self-Assessments of Transport Regulatory Infrastructure for the Mediterranean Region, held in Vienna in March 2014, participants peer reviewed results of self-assessments and decided to create national action plans.
During a consultancy meeting in May 2014, a plan of action for the Mediterranean region was further developed.
During a workshop held in February 2015 in Athens, Greece, 24 delegates from 14 Member States and one international organization reviewed the implementation of national and regional action plans and updated the plans as needed.
In June 2015 a virtual meeting was held with 12 participants from 10 different locations.
During a workshop held in October 2015 in Istanbul, Turkey, 23 participants from 11 Member States and one international organization reviewed the progress of the implementation of national and regional action plans and decided on a structure for a network. Participants also agreed on the format and content for a Manual for Import, Export and Transit of Radioactive Material.
A training workshop was held in March 2016 in Vienna with 22 participants from 14 Member States on inspection programmes for the transport of radioactive material.
A regional workshop was held in Vienna in April 2016 with 18 participants from 12 Member States on drafting regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material.
The final workshop was held in Rabat Morocco with 16 participants from 11 Member States on developing an effective compliance assurance regime for the transport of radioactive material in the Mediterranean coastal and shipping states and associated shipping states.