Marco Brugmans appointed vice-chair of European advisory body ENSREG
ANVS board member Marco Brugmans has been appointed vice-chair of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG). ENSREG is an independent advisory body of the European Commission. It represents the nuclear regulators of the EU Member States, in which the ANVS has a seat on behalf of the Netherlands.
ENSREG’s objective is to improve cooperation between the nuclear regulators in Europe in order to improve the safety of nuclear facilities and to ensure safe management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel (fuel for nuclear power plants). One of the ways it aims to achieve this is by organizing Topical Peer reviews, which this year covered fire prevention and fire protection in nuclear facilities.
Cooperation and knowledge-sharing within the European Union
As part of ENSREG, members can discuss current matters such as the nuclear safety situation in Ukraine, missions by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to EU member states and the EU Small Modular Reactor pre-partnership, which considers the safety of the new small nuclear reactors in Europe.
Marco Brugmans: “My work as vice-chair starts in a time of change. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine now influences a great deal of our work. As part of the EU community, we are monitoring the situation closely and where possible offer support to the Ukrainian nuclear regulator. The war has prompted various European countries to look at the use of nuclear energy, because security of supply and strategic autonomy in energy provision have become more important, in addition to reducing carbon emissions. From that perspective it is crucial that nuclear regulators remain neutral and independent in their work to ensure nuclear safety. As vice-chair of ENSREG, I look forward to contributing to the important work that ENSREG does.”
Importance of ENSREG
This vice-chairpersonship dovetails with our current priorities: enhancing international cooperation and going beyond our participation in all ENSREG working parties. Those working parties are involved in nuclear safety, radioactive waste and transparency. Through those working parties we are part of a European network which allows us to stay abreast of relevant developments in Europe.