Experiences in the New Nuclear Security Regulatory Framework in Hungary

The new national regulatory framework for nuclear security in Hungary is based on the CPPNM and its Amendment. The basic principles and requirements are stipulated in the Act CXVI of 1996 on Atomic Energy, the detailed description of requirements is issued in The Government Decree 190/2011. (IX. 19.) Korm. on physical protection requirements for various applications of atomic energy and the corresponding system of licensing, reporting and inspection, which came into force on the 4th of October 2011. It regulates the process of developing physical protection systems of a nuclear facility, physical protection of nuclear and other radioactive materials during storage, application and transport, as well as the preparation of the physical protection plan. According to the national regulation, the holders of radioactive sources and wastes, as well as the users of equipment generating ionizing radiation without sources shall comply with prescriptive requirements, which consider the basic principles of physical protection (i.e. defence in depth, balanced protection, minimal consequence of a component failure). The licensees of nuclear facilities shall provide adequate protection against the facility related specific DBTs (performance based requirement) and shall also comply with the above principles. The physical protection system must ensure the effective combination of deterrence, detection, delay and response as physical protection functions. The detailed requirements for implementing deterrence, detection, delay measures according to the different categories of nuclear and other radioactive materials is prescribed in the new Government Decree. At the request of the Government of Hungary, the IAEA conducted the two-week International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission in 2013 that reviewed the nation's nuclear security-related legislative and regulatory framework, physical protection systems at Hungarian nuclear facilities, and security arrangements applied to the transport of nuclear and radioactive materials. In the presentation the relevant features of the Hungarian nuclear security regulatory framework and the details of the relevant legislation will be discussed. Moreover, the licensing experiences and satistics gained since the introduction of the new system and the results of the IPPAS mission in 2013 will be summarized.