2014 WENRA Autumn Meeting Stockholm

WENRA-HERCA Joint Meeting Stockholm 2014:  Side event visit Vasa museum
WENRA-HERCA Joint Meeting Stockholm 2014: Side event visit Vasa museum  (© WENRA)

 

The regular autumn meeting of WENRA took place in Stockholm Sweden. For the first time a joint meeting was held between WENRA and the Heads of the European Radiation protection Competent Authorities HERCA to discuss coordination in emergency planning in Europe. 

The joint WENRA/HERCA meeting confirmed the mutual points of interest between the two associations regarding the coordination of emergency preparedness on an European level and opened up for possibilities for further future cooperation.

During the subsequent regular WENRA meeting the two permanent working groups of WENRA on reactor harmonization and on waste and decommissioning reported on their recent activities.

The WENRA members noted that the Swiss proposal to amend the Convention on Nuclear Safety is in line with the EU Nuclear Safety Directive and with WENRA's approach to continuous improvement of nuclear safety. 

The heads of the national nuclear safety authorities discussed the further coordination of actions of WENRA members regarding the measures suggested during the 6th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety and to the Joint Convention on Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste.

Serhii Bozhko, Chairman of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRC) has made a formal request to become an official member of WENRA. Since 2009 SNRC has been an observer. The official inauguration of the Ukraine will take place during the WENRA spring meeting 2015 in Geneva.

The plenary meeting took note of personal changes: Lasse Reimann, head of the Reactor Harmonization Working Group (RHWG) is going into retirment and will be replaced by Fabien Feron from the French regulatory body ASN. Likewise, Dieter Müller-Ecker, head of the WENRA technical secretariat is going into retirement and will be replaced by Mr Stephane Pailler from the French regulatory body ASN. 

Mr Reiman and Mr Müller-Ecker were commended for their dedication and their excellent work for WENRA during the last couple of years.