An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today completed a follow-up mission to review national nuclear security practices in Sweden.
The Swedish Government requested the two-week International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission, which assessed how the country followed up on recommendations and suggestions made by a previous IPPAS mission in 2011.
The IPPAS team reviewed the legislative and regulatory framework for nuclear security. It looked at the physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities, of nuclear material in transport and computer security. Also discussed was Sweden’s implementation of the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), which provides a strengthened framework for combatting nuclear terrorism and protecting nuclear material and nuclear facilities. Sweden in 2012 ratified the Amendment, which entered into force last May.
In addition, the team visited the Ringhals nuclear power plant (NPP) to review physical protection measures.
The team concluded that Sweden has made good progress in implementing the recommendations of the previous IPPAS mission. The team identified a number of good practices in the national nuclear security regime and at Ringhals NPP, while also making recommendations and suggestions for continuous improvement.
The team, led by Joseph Sandoval of Sandia National Laboratories in the United States, included nine experts from seven states and the IAEA. The team met in Stockholm with officials from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM), the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the National Police Authority and Forsmark NPP.
“For any State that uses nuclear power, a strong commitment to security is a must,” said Raja Adnan, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security. “Sweden’s example in applying IAEA Nuclear Security Guidance and using IAEA advisory services demonstrates the value of Agency assistance in helping States to adhere to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment.”
SSM Director General Mats Persson said the mission provided “useful support in our work to continuously improve Sweden’s nuclear security regime.”
Background
The mission was the 74th IPPAS mission conducted by the IAEA since the programme began in 1995. The first IPPAS mission to Sweden was conducted from 16 to 27 May 2011.
IPPAS missions are intended to help States strengthen their national nuclear security regime. The missions provide peer advice on implementing international instruments and IAEA guidance on the protection of nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities.
The missions call upon a team of international experts to assess a nation’s system of physical protection, compare it with international best practices and make any recommendations for improvement. IPPAS missions are conducted both on a nationwide and facility-specific basis.