The EU Working Party on Atomic Questions held its second meeting under the chairmanship of the HAEA

Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024

At the second meeting of the EU Working Party on Atomic Questions, held during the Hungarian EU Presidency, Member States reviewed the situation of nuclear safety and security of nuclear installations in Ukraine. The Joint Research Centre, the scientific and knowledge service of the European Commission, provided information on its activities on sustainable solutions for radioactive waste and spent fuel management and presented the current issues and main challenges in the development of skilled nuclear workforce. In doing so, he pointed out that the nuclear sector needs to attract between 70,000 and 90,000 new employees over the next 10 years, and that support for nuclear education and training remains essential to maintain and develop the highest level of nuclear safety and a competitive European industry.

During the meeting, a representative of the HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research presented the outstanding Hungarian achievements in the field of nuclear forensics. Nuclear forensics is a dynamically developing field, which also helps in the fight against smuggling and terrorism, by which the type, composition and origin of seized or found radiological materials can be determined. The Centre's technological equipment, the methodology used and the training of its staff are exceptional in the world. The presentation underlined that the Centre, as a collaborating centre of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is ready to assist Member States in this field, in building and developing European capacities, by providing training, transfer of experience and knowledge, and even by organising joint exercises.