The EU and Armenia Successfully Conclude the Program for Modernizing the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Framework

The Nuclear Regulatory Committee of the Republic of Armenia (ANRA), the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center (NRSC), and the international consulting firm IDOM have successfully concluded their two-year intensive cooperation program. The main objective of the project was to modernize and enhance Armenia's nuclear and radiation safety regulatory framework. Furthermore, it aimed to align the framework with European Union (EU) directives - in accordance with the requirements and commitments under the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) - as well as with the Safety Reference Levels of the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) and international best practices.

Over the two years of cooperation, the expert teams from ANRA, NRSC, and IDOM worked closely to conduct a comprehensive legislative gap analysis and draft regulatory documents. This joint effort resulted in a package of recommendations designed to integrate international safety standards into national legislation. Within the framework of the program, particular attention was paid to strengthening regulatory oversight, optimizing licensing processes, and ensuring that radiation protection measures comply with the highest modern requirements.

To fulfill the requirements and commitments under the CEPA agreement, recommendations were submitted to amend more than 40 legal acts.

In addition to harmonizing the regulatory body's legislative framework with the Euratom Directives, the program also addressed safety case approaches for the operation of radioactive waste disposal facilities and radioactive waste processing installations.

Beyond the development of regulatory documents, this partnership has significantly enhanced the technical capabilities of the regulatory body through knowledge transfer and joint assessments. This program represents a major milestone in Armenia's commitment to transparent, safe, and internationally compliant nuclear energy governance, ensuring a reliable safety infrastructure for decades and generations to come.