The Joint 8th and 9th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety Concludes

Source: IAEA

The Joint 8th and 9th Review Meeting of the contracting parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) was held in Vienna from 20 to 31 March 2023. Hungary was represented at the two-week meeting by delegates from the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Energy, MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd. and Paks II Ltd.

Contracting parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety are required to participate in a review meeting every three years. The eighth review meeting did not take place in 2020 due to the pandemic situation, so it was held together with the ninth review meeting.

The meeting was attended by 900 delegates representing 82 states. During the first week, contracting parties discussed each other's national reports and presentations in country groups and further peer-reviewed each other's nuclear safety issues. Hungary was represented by a delegation led by the President of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority, Andrea Beatrix Kádár. In the framework of the Hungarian national presentation, the representatives of the HAEA presented, among other things, the safety issues of the peaceful application of nuclear energy and the experiences with the implementation of the Vienna Declaration in Hungary. Following the presentation, representatives of the HAEA, the Ministry of Energy, MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd. and Paks II Ltd. answered questions from other contracting parties.

On the basis of the national report, the Hungarian presentation and the answers to the questions, the review meeting concluded that the Hungarian practice complies with the requirements of the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The reviewers found Hungary's performance to be commendable in several respects. For example, the regular "About Nuclear Energy for All" conferences organised by the HAEA to involve and inform young people were rated positively (area of good performance).

The strengthening of nuclear safety regulations in each country (with particular emphasis on safety aspects of new and innovative technologies), the promotion of international cooperation and peer review missions, and the enhancement of emergency preparedness were highlighted as common priorities. The Review Meeting also identified as a very important task for most contracting parties the development of plans for the ageing management and long-term operation of nuclear facilities, the development of strategies to address climate change and its impact on the safe operation of nuclear facilities, and the assurance of reliable nuclear supply chains.

The tenth review meeting will take place in 2026.