European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG)

At the recommendation of the German presidency, and with the aim of guaranteeing and improving the on-going safe management of spent fuel elements and radioactive waste, the Council of the European Union agreed in its conclusions dated 8th May 2007 to the establishment of a so-called "high level group" (HLG). The HLG was implemented by a European Commission decision dated 17th July 2007 (PDF, 42 KB) The group, since renamed ENSREG (European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group), is made up of two high-ranking representatives from each member state and two from the Commission. The task of ENSREG is to provide the Commission with advice and support, while easing coordination and cooperation between the national regulatory authorities. The group is obliged to submit a biennial report on its work to both the European Council and the European Parliament.

Three specialist working groups are responsible for completion of the ENSREG work programme. The topic of nuclear safety is assigned to one working group, issues of nuclear waste management to the second, and the related themes of transparency and public involvement to the third.

Among other things, ENSREG was involved in the preparation of the directive establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations (Directive 2009/71/Euratom (PDF, 734 KB)) and the directive establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste ( Directive 2011/70/Euratom (PDF, 787 KB)), and advises the member states on the implementation of both directives.

During the first two consultation periods fifteen ENSREG meetings were held between October 2007 and July 2011. ENSREG's second activity report (PDF, 318 KB) was published promptly to coincide with the first conference hosted by the group in Brussels: "Nuclear Safety in Europe" (28th and 29th June 2011).

• www.ensreg.eu: European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group