Nuclear regulatory authority
The Belgian public authorities are: the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC), and the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (ONDRAF/NIRAS).
The supervision of all nuclear activities falls within the responsibility of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC), which constitutes the Safety Authority. The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control is an autonomous public institution with legal personality. The Agency is supervised by the Federal Minister of Home Affairs via a government Commissioner who attends the meetings of the Board of Directors.
Nuclear activities
There are seven PWRs in operation; three research reactors located at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), one of which is being dismantled, one fuel fabrication plant being dismantled, one waste treatment and storage facility, one radioisotope production plant, radioactive sources (industrial, medical); and transportation of radioactive material. In addition to the fuel cycle facilities, nearly 1000 intermediate risk facilities (medical and industrial applications) and 10000 low-risk facilities using ionising radiations are in operation.
Radioactive waste and spent fuel management
The management of all radioactive waste and excess fissile materials outside of the site of a nuclear operator on the Belgian territory falls under the responsibility of the Organisation for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (ONDRAF/NIRAS). This management includes transport, treatment and conditioning, storage and disposal as well as the financial management. ONDRAF/NIRAS is supervised by the Federal Minister of Energy and by the Federal Minister of Economy.
Main legal instruments
The basic Belgian regulations concerning nuclear safety are the Law of 15 April 1994, the Royal Decree of 20 July 2001, known as the General Regulations regarding protection of the population, the workers and the environment against the dangers of ionizing radiation (GRR-2001) and the Royal decree of 30 November 2011 on the safety requirements for nuclear installation (SRNI-2011). Other legal texts can be found at: www.jurion.fanc.fgov.be.
For the activities of ONDRAF/NIRAS, the legal acts are: the Law of 8 August 1980 on the budgetary proposals for 1979-1980, Art. 179 §2 to §11, as amended by the Laws of 11 January 1991, 12 December 1997, 29 December 2010 and 3 June 2014 and he Royal Decree of 30 March 1981 on the missions and tasks of ONDRAF/NIRAS, as amended. References to other texts can be found at: www.ondraf.be/reglementation or https://www.niras.be/reglementering.
Last updated in September 2020
