N uclear Legislation in OECD and NEA Countries Regulatory and Institutional Framework for Nuclear Activities Belgium Nuclear Legislation in OECD Countries © OECD 2010 BBelgium I. General Regulatory Regime ................................................................. 4 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 4 2. Mining regime ................................................................................................... 6 3. Nuclear facilities ................................................................................................ 6 a) Licensing and inspection, including nuclear safety .......................................... 6 b) Protection of the environment against radiation effects ................................... 7 c) Emergency response .................................................................................. 8 d) Decommissioning ....................................................................................... 8 4. Trade in nuclear materials and equipment ............................................................ 10 5. Radiological protection ....................................................................................... 10 6. Radioactive waste management .......................................................................... 12 7. Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and physical protection of nuclear material ...... 13 a) International aspects ................................................................................. 13 b) National control and security measures ....................................................... 14 8. Transport ......................................................................................................... 15 9. Nuclear third party liability ................................................................................. 15 II. Institutional Framework ......................................................................... 17 1. Regulatory and supervisory authorities ................................................................ 17 a) Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) .................................................. 17 b) Federal Public Service for Home Affairs ........................................................ 18 c) Federal Public Service for Economy, SME’s, Self-Employed and Energy ............ 18 d) Federal Public Service for Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue ................ 19 e) Federal Public Service for Defence .............................................................. 19 f) Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Co-operation ............................................................................................ 19 g) Federal Public Planning Service for Science Policy ......................................... 19 2. Advisory bodies ................................................................................................ 19 a) Scientific Council for Ionizing Radiation of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control .................................................................................................... 19 b) Superior Health Council ............................................................................. 20 c) Superior Council for Safety, Hygiene and Enhancement of Workplaces ............ 20 d) Advisory Committee for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons .................. 20 e) Commission for Electricity and Gas Regulation (CREG) .................................. 20 Page 2 Belgium © OECD 2010 Nuclear Legislation in OECD Countries 3. Public and semi-public agencies .......................................................................... 21 a) Scientific Institute of Public Health .............................................................. 21 b) Nuclear Research Centre (SCK•CEN) ........................................................... 21 c) Institute for Radioelements (IRE)................................................................ 22 d) Higher Institute for Emergency Planning ...................................................... 23 e) Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (ONDRAF/NIRAS) . 23 f) Synatom .................................................................................................. 25 Page 3 Belgium © OECD 2010 Nuclear Legislation in OECD Countries I. General regulatory regime 1. Introduction Belgium is a federal state composed of three regions (Flemish, Walloon and Brussels Capital Region) and three communities (Dutch, French and German speaking). The federal state is responsible for nuclear energy policy and radiological protection, but there are interfaces with the regional regulations (non-radiological aspects of safety and environmental protection) and the community regulations (education, preventive health care). This overview deals with the federal laws and regulations only. Belgium is a member state of the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community. Hence, all regulations that are based on the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community apply. Belgium is a contracting party to many international conventions governing different aspects of the nuclear and radioprotection policy. The main regulatory authority for the safety of nuclear facilities and activities is the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (Federaal Agentschap voor Nucleaire Controle - Agence fédérale de Contrôle nucléaire – FANC/AFCN), a public agency under the political responsibility of the Minister for Home Affairs. In 2007, a private foundation, named Bel V, was created as a subsidiary of the FANC to support it, in particular, with respect to health physics control. The legislative and regulatory framework has evolved in line with the developments in nuclear science and technology. Until 2001, the main pillar of the Belgian nuclear legislation was the Law of 29 March 1958 regarding the Protection of the Population against the Hazards of Ionizing Radiation. In implementation of this law, Royal Decree of 28 February 1963 laying down general regulations concerning the protection of the public and workers against the hazards of ionizing radiation constituted the basic regulations for the safety of nuclear activities. In particular, it governed the licensing of nuclear facilities, the inspection and control regime, radiological protection, the safety of radioactive waste management, the medical applications of ionizing radiation, the import, transit and distribution of radioactive substances as well as their transport. On 15 April 1994, a new Law on the Protection of the Population and the Environment against the Hazards of Ionizing Radiation and on the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control was promulgated. This law, which has been amended several times, repeals and replaces Law of 29 March 1958 and constitutes the legal basis for the FANC as regulatory body. On 1 September 2001, Royal Decree of 20 July 2001 laying down the general regulations on the protection of the public, the workers and the environment against the hazards of ionizing radiation came into effect. This royal decree replaces Decree of 28 February 1963. As of 1 September 2001, FANC became fully operational. This royal decree has been amended several times, in particular to transpose European directives (high activity sources, transboundary movement of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel) and to take account of feedback experience. There are currently seven nuclear power reactors in Belgium, four located in Doel and three in Tihange, with a total installed capacity of 5 936 MWe. All are pressurised water reactors (PWR). They are owned and operated by Electrabel and provided approximately 55% of the electricity in 2008. There are also three research reactors operating in Belgium. At the Nuclear Research Centre (Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie – Centre d’étude de l’énergie nucléaire – SCK•CEN) in Mol there is the zero-power reactor BR1, the material test reactor BR2 and VENUS. The former pressurised water research reactor BR3, at the site of SCK•CEN, is being decommissioned. The research reactor THETIS at the University of Ghent is no longer in operation. Decommissioning of the reactor has started. Belgium Page 4 © OECD 2010 Nuclear Legislation in OECD Countries The Institute for Radioelements (IRE) in Fleurus, produces radioisotopes for medical purposes from high-enriched uranium targets that were irradiated in reseach reactors, e.g. the BR2. FBFC International, a division of the industrial group AREVA, operates a nuclear fuel fabrication plant in Dessel. In the same area, Belgonucleaire, specialised in the production of mixed oxide fuel (MOX) for light water reactors, stopped its activities in 2006. Decommissioning and dismantling has started. Radioactive waste produced in Belgium is partly treated by the operators of the nuclear power plants at their own sites and partly by Belgoprocess, a subsidiary of the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (Nationale Instelling voor radioactief afval en verrijkte splijtstoffen – Organisme national des déchets radioactifs et des matières fissiles – ONDRAF/NIRAS). All conditioned waste is currently stored in temporary storage facilities at Belgoprocess. On 23 June 2006, the Government has decided that short-lived low- and intermediate-level waste will be disposed of in a near-surface facility in Dessel. At the same time, the Government requested FANC to develop a specific licensing