The President of the HAEA and the Director General of the OECD NEA held bilateral discussions in Budapest

Andrea Beatrix Kádár, President of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA), received on 8 October 2024 William D. Magwood, Director General of the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD NEA). At the bilateral meeting among other issues the parties reviewed the main developments since the OECD NEA Director General's last visit to Budapest in 2021, and questions related to small modular reactors.

During the meeting, President Andrea Beatrix Kádár informed the Director General of the OECD NEA about the recently implemented most important changes in the organizational structure of the HAEA, which allow it to better adapt to its future tasks.

The parties also reviewed the main challenges related to small modular reactors. The president of the HAEA emphasized that the oversight of small modular reactors requires a new kind of approach compared to the currently operating reactors, therefore HAEA continuously monitors international developments, actively participates in international working groups related to small modular reactors, expands its knowledge and is open to further cooperation with the OECD NEA within this area.

During the meeting the parties also discussed the mechanisms of communication between the authority and the public, challenges related to the oversight of new nuclear power plants, possibilities of international harmonization of nuclear authorities’ requirements and cooperation between nuclear authorities of countries operating VVER type nuclear power plants.