Representatives from 25 countries[1] met in Vienna, Austria from 23 to 27 July 2018 under the framework of an IAEA technical cooperation (TC) project[2] to discuss regulatory frameworks for the decommissioning of small medical, industrial and research facilities that use radioactive materials and radioactive sources.
The workshop also provided an occasion to collect information from Member States in relation to regulations for decommissioning of small facilities, present participants with experiences from countries with advanced decommissioning programmes, and conduct collaborative work on drafting new or reviewing existing regulations.
During the workshop, the status and gaps of decommissioning regulations in the region were identified and participants either drafted new decommissioning regulations or improved their existing regulations, applying international standards, recommendations and good practices. As a result, the competences and awareness of the participants were enhanced for developing national enforcing regulations on decommissioning, with a focus on small medical, industrial and research facilities.
The IAEA TC project, which commenced this year, aims to develop capacities in participating countries to plan and implement decommissioning projects for small medical, industrial and research facilities, which possess radiological hazards at the end of their operational lifetime and thus require a systematic approach to decommissioning.
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[1] Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Republic of Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Ukraine. The event was supported by experts from Cuba, France, and Ukraine.
[2] RER9146, ‘Enhancing Capacities in Member States for the Planning and Implementation of Decommissioning Projects’.
