The fundamental basis for peaceful, safe and secured use of atomic energy is such a sound national law-making and regulatory regime, which serves as a ground to determine and regularly update the requirements, prescriptions and the regulatory instruments for prevention, detection and intervention, in brief the operation of the system.
In Hungary an Act governs the peaceful, safe and secured use of atomic energy.
The fundamental objective of the Act CXVI of 1996 on Atomic Energy (Atomic Act) is to protect the health and safety of the public and the environment.
Further important elements of the Hungarian regulatory system are the acts and law-decrees meant to promulgate the international conventions to which Hungary is a party as well as the regulations, transposed directives and decisions of various bodies of the European Union. The Hungarian regulations build on them or they are implemented with due considerations.
The Atomic Act has established a modern, multi-stage legal and regulatory frame, while the detailed regulations are included in government and ministerial decrees issued based on the empowerment ensured by the Atomic Act.
In order to support the compliance with the requirements and decrees corresponding to nuclear safety, security and peaceful use of atomic energy the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority provides recommendations on good practices, issued in the form of guidelines.
Regulatory oversight of nuclear facilities, peaceful use of atomic energy, security of nuclear and other radioactive materials and equipment that generate ionizing radiation, safety of packaging of nuclear and other radioactive materials is the main task of the HAEA. The respective requirements appear in various levels of legal instruments.