Nuclear power gets closer with establishment of National Nuclear Agency - International Law Office

National Nuclear Agency
Comment

National Nuclear Agency

The Albanian government is developing a project for the construction of a nuclear power plant.

In January 2010 the Council of Ministers issued a decision(1) establishing the National Nuclear Agency as an authority under the responsibility of the council in order to progress the development of the country's nuclear programme.

The National Nuclear Agency is tasked with the preparation, supervision and development of the national nuclear programme.

The National Nuclear Agency has a number of tasks and objectives, including the following:

• creating and running the necessary infrastructure to support the national nuclear programme;
• drafting a complete legal framework to support the development of the programme;
• drafting the necessary regulatory framework to serve the programme;
• coordinating the selection of the location for construction of the nuclear power station;
• selecting and training the personnel required to support the programme during its various phases;
• drafting the documentation related to and supervising the procedures for the bidding process for construction of the nuclear power station;
• supervising all phases of the construction and operation of the nuclear power station;
• ensuring the short and long-term safety of the combustible nuclear materials and radioactive materials used in the energy production process at the nuclear power station;
• informing the public and interest groups regarding the programme during all its phases; and
• assessing the development of the programme according to the plans for the different phases.

In order to accomplish its mission, the National Nuclear Agency will collaborate and cooperate with various public and private domestic institutions, foreign and domestic interest groups, in particular with:

• the International Atomic Energy Agency;
• similar bodies in other countries in the region and around the world;
• universities and research institutes in the areas covered by the national nuclear programme; and
• national and international non-profit institutions and donors in accordance with the applicable legislation.

Comment

The Council of Ministers' decision represents the first step towards the establishment of a specific authority to develop the country's nuclear programme. The decision has also amended the competences of the National Agency for Natural Resources(2) regarding cooperation with other national and international authorities to develop the national nuclear programme.

For further information on this topic please contact Marco Monaco Sorge or Sajmir Dautaj at Tonucci & Partners by telephone (+355 4 2250 711/2), fax (+355 4 2250 713) or email (mmonacosorge@tonucci.it or (sdautaj@tonucci.it).

Endnotes

(1) Council of Ministers Decision 23 on Establishment of the National Nuclear Agency (January 20 2010).

(2) Article 14 of Council of Ministers Decision 23 on Establishment of the National Nuclear Agency (January 20 2010) expressly annulled the last paragraph of Point 3 of Council of Ministers Decision 547 on Establishment of the National Agency for Natural Resources (August 9 2006), as amended.