Effective international cooperation in the field of nuclear energy is essential in addressing global challenges related to energy and climate change – Minister of State for Energy at the Ministry of National Development András Aradszki explained at the 59th Annual Assembly of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held in Vienna between 14 and 18 September 2015.
Nuclear energy has a fundamental role in the realisation of a low carbon economy and it can thus contribute to the fight against climate change, the Minister of State said.
In his speech, Mr. Aradszki emphasised that Hungary pays special attention to establishing and maintaining a sound legal and administrative framework for nuclear safety and radiation protection. This is also proven by the fact that the staff of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Agency (HAEA) was increased in order to fully fulfill the tasks related to the maintenance of the capacity levels at Paks. Realisation of the IRRS mission in Hungary, which is to improve the efficiency of the national nuclear authority systems, has yielded important results. Nuclear safety may be further increased by implementing proposals aimed at the improvement of administrative activities.
Mr. András Aradszki reported that the Hungarian Parliament has adopted the national policy of spent fuel and radioactive waste management in April 2015 and the Government has elaborated the national programme to execute the tasks related thereto. He pointed out that Hungary firmly follows the recommendations of the IAEA and the international safety principles concerning radioactive waste management. The developments contribute to the establishment of a sound base for the framework of the national management of radioactive waste which will thus be able to meet the challenges of the future.