This week, the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB), together with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, is hosting a meeting of the RHWG (Reactor Harmonization Working Group) working group of the WENRA (Western European Nuclear Regulators Association). The aim of this working group is to develop a harmonized approach to nuclear safety at operating nuclear power plants in Europe.
To this purpose, the RHWG has developed WENRA Safety Reference Levels (SRLs), which reflect the expected practices to be implemented in WENRA member countries.
As part of its discussions, the working group is considering the selection of a topic for the upcoming Topical Peer Review III, which is required by the EU Nuclear Safety Directive. The group is also discussing planned revisions to safety objectives, particularly in relation to new nuclear sources, and preparing methodological documents on regulatory requirements for the use of small modular reactors.
The working group has also recently completed the verification of the implementation of revised reference levels for existing nuclear power plants into the national legal frameworks of Member States. Another important area of its activity is the harmonization of reference levels for power and research reactors. Other topics include the consideration of climate change in the regular demonstration of the safety of nuclear facilities and the collection of information on national approaches and practices in the use of commercial-grade items.