An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) team on 22 June completed a two-week follow-up nuclear security advisory mission in Belgium to review progress since the previous IPPAS mission in 2014.
The team evaluated the legal and regulatory framework for the security of nuclear and radioactive material, including the implementation of the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM).
The mission’s scope was broader than in 2014. It also covered computer security and regulations for facilities holding radioactive sources. The team, which visited the Tihange nuclear plant and the SCK-CEN Nuclear Research Centre, said the nuclear security regime was "robust and incorporates the fundamental principles of the amended CPPNM."
The mission identified several good practices and made recommendations for further improvement. The team, led by Steve Skelton, Principal Inspector at UK Office for Nuclear Regulation, included experts from Finland, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Switzerland, the USA and the IAEA.
They met in Brussels with experts from Belgium's Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (Fanc), and its technical branch BelV, as well as officials of the National Security Authority and the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis, the Federal and local Police, the Ministry of Defence, the Centre for Cyber Security Belgium and the National Crisis Centre.
