IRRS missions

Source: www.iaea.org

An IRRS mission examines the national legal, enforcement and organisational framework of nuclear safety at nuclear facilities. International experts appointed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assess the extent to which Germany implements the IAEA safety requirements in the supervision of nuclear facilities. The results of the IRRS missions are the documentation of best practices on the one hand, and a discussion of recommendations for possible improvement and further development of national nuclear safety on the other. With regard to mutual learning, these results can also offer added value for nuclear safety at European and international level.

At the invitation of the Federal Government, the last IAEA IRRS mission took place in Germany between 31 March and 12 April 2019. The IRRS follow-up mission will take place between 8 and 16 October 2023.

Preparation

InIn preparation for the 2019 IRRS mission, the authorities involved compared their organisation with IAEA requirements in detail. In doing so, the authorities presented the German regulations and structures for nuclear safety, and identified instances where Germany deviated from the IAEA requirements.

This extensive work started back in 2017 under the leadership of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). The actors involved in the preparation were.

• the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE), and

• the nuclear licensing and supervisory authorities of the Länder.

This facilitated an assessment of any potential for improvement in the run-up to the mission. Such an approach makes it possible to initiate measures to fill possible gaps in preparation for an IRRS mission.

The potential for improvement identified was incorporated into a National Action Plan. The Federal Government submitted this plan to the IAEA in January 2019, together with other documents. The IRRS follow-up mission will take place from 8 to 16 October 2023. The relevant necessary preparations have been underway since 2022.

Procedure

Based on the self-assessment and the National Action Plan, the international experts conducted interviews with representatives of German supervisory authorities, including BASE, during the two-week IRRS mission in 2019. They also visited individual nuclear facilities to observe the supervisory activities in practical application.

Based on these discussions and the documents already provided in advance, the experts examined how Germany implements the IAEA requirements, and identified improvement potential.

Results

The results of the IRRS mission were documented in a public report. The recommendations presented form an important basis for the further optimisation of nuclear safety in Germany.

BASE participation in the IRRS missions

As an expert authority in the field of nuclear safety and waste management, BASE was involved in the preparation and implementation of the 2019 IRRS mission. It supervises nuclear waste repositories under nuclear law, and issues licences for interim storage facilities for nuclear fuel in accordance with Section 6 of the Atomic Energy Act. BASE is also involved in the preparation and implementation of the IRRS Follow-up Mission 2023.