The newly established NEA Task Group on Radiological Protection During Armed Conflict (TGRPAC) held its inaugural meeting on 27 September 2024. Endorsed by the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH), the group will operate under the auspices of the OECD Ukraine Country Programme which is a four-year initiative aimed at strengthening institutions and capacity building to implement effective policy reforms across different sectors in Ukraine. The programme enables Ukraine to leverage the expertise of the organisation to foster crucial discussions on nuclear safety and radiation protection, underscoring the strong commitment of the OECD and the NEA to supporting Ukraine.
Alongside the NEA as organisers, the task group comprises participants from ten different countries and one international organisation, namely: Canada, Finland, France, Norway, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission. During the meeting, Katarzyna Siegien from the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) was elected as the chair of the task group.
The group will build upon the DSA-NEA workshop held in Oslo last November, which addressed radiological protection during armed conflict and regulatory resilience. It will develop a roadmap and explore new frameworks and approaches to ensure radiological protection across different armed conflict scenarios. A range of threats to radiological protection will be examined including deliberate attacks on nuclear power plants and other sites storing or using radioactive materials. One of the key challenges regulators face in such critical situations is the need to adapt regulatory measures, with flexibility being paramount. The group also emphasised the importance of robust communication channels and cybersecurity in safeguarding nuclear installations, highlighting the potential role of international practical guidance, which will be further discussed.
The task group is expected to present key elements of its roadmap at the next CRPPH meeting, scheduled for March 2025.