EC to issue EUR 12.9mln grant to Armenia to improve nuclear and  radiation safety 

ArmInfo. On December 27, the Government of Armenia approved the draft decree of the President of Armenia , which provides for the  provision of a technical assistance grant in the amount of 12.9  million euros.

As stated in the explanatory note to the document, the Republic of  Armenia has developed a roadmap to ensure timely and full  implementation of the measures defined by CEPA. In the field of  nuclear and radiation safety regulation, it is planned to converge  with EU directives. Thus, the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee of  the Republic of Armenia has already initiated the development of a  new draft nuclear law taking into account the relevant EU directives,  WENRA (Western European Nuclear Regulators Association) safety  standards and the safety requirements of the International Atomic  Energy Agency. The implementation of the project within the framework  of the said financing agreement will allow the Republic of Armenia to  introduce an effective nuclear safety culture, create an  infrastructure and legal framework for regulating nuclear and  radiation safety that comply with EU directives, as well as WENRA  requirements, safety standards to the maximum extent possible and  reflect advanced European experience and international criteria.

Within the framework of the specified agreement, it is planned to  implement a program aimed at developing the capabilities of the  Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Armenia and the  Technical Support Center in matters of periodic safety review (PSR)  of the 2nd power unit of the NPP.

It is also planned to supply the necessary equipment for the  environmental radiation laboratory. As stated in the document, the  establishment of an environmental radiation laboratory in the  territory of the Republic of Armenia will contribute to the  improvement of the national infrastructure for environmental  radiation monitoring in the Republic of Armenia, as well as emergency  response systems and radiation monitoring of radiation sources, the  acquisition of modern international experience and knowledge for the  implementation of environmental radiation monitoring activities that  ensure compliance with the requirements of the relevant EU  directives.

To implement the tasks envisaged by the agreement, the maximum amount  of assistance provided by the EU to the Republic of Armenia is  12,900,000 euros.