Sweden’s eighth national report under the Convention on Nuclear Safety submitted to the IAEA
Every third year, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority compiles a report on how the Swedish Government, authorities, licensees and nuclear power plant owners comply with their respective commitments under the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority has an assignment from the Government to produce this national report. Sweden’s eighth national report has now been submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, which serves as the Convention’s secretariat.
Every third year since 1998, Sweden has submitted a national report on Sweden’s compliance with the Convention to the IAEA. This eighth report, submitted to the IAEA on 15 August 2019, accounts for the period March 2016-April 2019.
In the report, changes are described that have had an impact on the Swedish nuclear power industry during the period, as well as the present situation for the industry. Topics covered include the broad energy agreement between political parties and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority’s overhaul of its official regulations. The report also accounts for the decommissioning of reactors taking place in parallel with ageing management of the reactors that will remain in operation and are undergoing preparations for continued safe operation beyond the originally planned period of operation (40 years).
“These are areas that the other contracting parties to the Convention have asked us about in connection with previous review meetings. They want to know how we in Sweden have prepared for this and the actions we have taken to ensure safety,” says Anna Franzén, a senior adviser at the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority’s Office for International Relations.
The report also describes challenges facing the companies operating the nuclear power plants since their decision to shut down and decommission four reactors. For example, these challenges relate to the availability of competence and maintaining one’s safety culture throughout the decommissioning process.
“The report accounts for these companies’ management of the situation, but also how the Authority works with regulatory supervision to check that the level of safety is maintained,” says Ms Franzén.
The IAEA has now received all the contracting parties’ national reports. In the autumn, Sweden will have the task of performing reviews and posing questions about other countries’ reports, and in February 2020, Sweden will account for responses made to the questions posed concerning Sweden’s report to the IAEA. Lastly, in spring 2020, the Review Meeting will convene at the IAEA in Vienna, during which Sweden’s national report will be reviewed by the other parties with a view to improving nuclear safety and radiation protection.
For more information, please contact: Anna Franzén, Senior Adviser, Office for International Relations, Tel. +46 8 799 42 59, or the duty press officer on Tel. +46 8 799 40 20.
The Convention on Nuclear Safety
Sweden signed the Convention on Nuclear Safety in September 1994, ratified it in September 1995, and in October 1996, it entered into force. Sweden’s first national report on implementation of the obligations implied by the Convention was submitted in August 1998 to the Convention’s depositary (secretariat), the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA.
Since this time, Sweden has submitted a national report every third year. This report is discussed at the Review Meeting held the following year. In August 2019, Sweden’s eighth report was submitted, which will be subject to review in the spring of 2020 by other countries that have ratified the Convention. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority has prepared the national report on the behalf of the Swedish Government. Apart from the Authority, representatives of the reactor owners, i.e. licensees, participated in the work.