HAEA chaired its first session of the Working Party on Atomic Questions

The Working Party on Atomic Questions will be chaired by the HAEA during Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the EU. During its first meeting Mr. Béla András Balczó presented an overview of the work programme of the Working Party for the next semester.

During the Hungarian presidency, the Working Party will discuss a number of priority issues, including nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, security of supply of nuclear fuel and international initiatives related to small modular reactors.

EU Presidency events related to the nuclear field organized by the Permanent Mission to the EU in Brussels will include a workshop on skills management in the nuclear field in September and a workshop on sustainable solutions for radioactive waste management in October.

Mr Balczó informed the working group that the European Union and Hungary will set up a joint exhibit during the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, where participants will be able to learn about Hungary’s outstanding achievements in the field of nuclear forensics.

During the Working Party, the European Commission, in line with the Hungarian Presidency’s priorities also provided an overview of the main topics it intends to focus on over the next semester, such as the impact of the war in Ukraine on nuclear safety and on the security of supply of nuclear fuel, and through the EU’s SMR Industrial Alliance plans to aid preparation of EU Member States for the emergence of new technologies.