International Workshop "Lessons Learned from the Integrated Regulatory Review Service Missions" has been completed

11.12.2014 The International Workshop "Lessons Learned from the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) Missions" organized jointly by Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostechnadzor) and the IAEA concluded its work on December 11, 2014 with a final press-conference.

Denis Flory, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, Alexey Ferapontov, Rostechnadzor Deputy Chairman, Gustavo Caruso, Special Coordinator of IAEA Nuclear Safety Action Team, and Jim Lyons, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Installation Safety, took part in the press-conference.

Alexey Ferapontov noted that the workshop lived up to the expectations. “It has been a comprehensive coverage of the entire spectrum of issues related to the IAEA IRRS missions. We have shared both theoretical information and experience in the conduct of the missions and implementation of their results. The IAEA experts gave us a master class on the practices, approaches and lessons of the IRRS missions. There were reports from the countries that had passed a full cycle of IRRS missions, as well as from those that are planning or getting ready to receive an initial or follow-up mission”, said the Deputy Chairman.

Answering the journalists' questions, Alexey Ferapontov emphasized the importance of the IRRS missions as a tool that helped the Russian regulator improve the nuclear and radiation safety regulation system noting that "following both missions, Rostechnadzor developed its action plans to implement the recommendations and suggestions made by the IAEA experts in the course of the missions".

"There is no doubt that we need to maintain the continuity of such important and useful events. That is why I am confident that this tradition should be carried on", Ferapontov said.

In his turn, Denis Flory highly appreciated the organization of the workshop. He said that such events are an excellent opportunity for Member States to share their experience and thanked Rostechnadzor for such an opportunity.

The International Workshop "Lessons Learned from the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) Missions" began its work on December 9, 2014. Besides the representatives of Rostechnadzor and the IAEA, it was also attended by staff members of the nuclear regulatory authorities from 24 countries of the world.

The Integrated Regulatory Review Service conducted by the IAEA is one of the tools allowing determining the efficiency of a national atomic energy regulator and assessing the current state of a national regulatory infrastructure in terms of its consistency with the IAEA Safety Standards.

Source: Rostechnadzor.