ANRA cooperates with EC in the frame of INSC, former TACIS, from 1996. The cooperation is aimed at improvement the nuclear safety regulatory regime in Armenia.

The EC assistance has been focused on the following two main areas of co-operation:

• • Direct support to the regulatory authority aimed at transferring the EU regulatory methodology and practices including formulation of the nuclear legislation and regulatory documents, within the so-called Regulatory Assistance (RA) projects type,

• • Technical assistance aimed at strengthening the capabilities of experts belonging to the nuclear regulator and its technical support organization in the review of a number of safety relevant upgrading and modernization measures at Armenian NPP carried out jointly with the EU TSO experts, within the so-called Technical Support (TS) projects type.

More than 15 projects have been implemented within the framework of cooperation with EC in the field of nuclear safety since 1996.

The projects included such tasks as strengthening emergency preparedness and response capabilities of the regulatory authority, development of pyramid of regulatory documents, improvement of NPP inspection practices and procedures, assistance in the field of quality management systems, improvement of radioactive sources inspection practices, assistance in the field of safety and security of radioactive sources, basic training on regulatory review of PSA level 1, regulatory issues on decommissioning, expert assistance in review of safety submittals for the upgrades implemented at the ANPP and other.