An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has just finished a follow-up nuclear security advisory mission to Switzerland. The International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission drew the conclusion that Switzerland has improved its nuclear security regime since an IPPAS mission in 2018.
     IPPAS missions are intended to help IAEA member states to strengthen their national nuclear security regimes. These missions provide advice from nuclear energy producing peers in implementing international instruments and IAEA guidance on the protection of nuclear and other radioactive materials and facilities. These missions can be conducted on both a nationwide and facility-specific basis.
     The latest mission was conducted from the 30th of October to the 10th of November of this year. It was carried out at the request of the Swiss government and hosted by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
     The twelve-day mission completes the cycle of activities initiated by the IPPAS mission covering all five modules of the IPPAS program. These include a review of the security of radioactive materials, associated facilities and associated activities, and nuclear facilities, nuclear materials transport, and information and computer security.
     The review team was led by Pedro Lardiez Holgado, who is the Head of the Nuclear Security Division of Spain’s Nuclear Safety Council. The team included eight experts from Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Turkey, the UK, the USA and one IAEA staff member.
     The IAEA team identified significant progress in addressing the findings of the 2018 IPPAS mission. It also observed how the nuclear security regime has been enhanced in Switzerland since then. It was noted that Switzerland currently has a strong nuclear security regime. It is committed to continuous improvement in the security of nuclear and other radioactive materials.
     Arvydas Stadalnikas is the Head of the Integrated Nuclear Security Approaches Unit at the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security. He said, “The follow-up mission in Switzerland shows its commitment to nuclear security and its openness in receiving an external review of the national nuclear security regime. The inclusion of one additional module on the security of radioactive material underscores Switzerland’s integrated approach towards physical protection. The mission’s findings indicate a well-established national nuclear security regime and its alignment with the IAEA nuclear security guidance.”
     Marc Kenzelmann is the ENSI Director General. He said, “I would like to thank everyone involved in Switzerland for their great commitment to the extensive preparations and for their dedication during the two-week peer review. We are very grateful to the IPPAS team for their critical scrutiny of the security measures. The recommendations of the international experts are extremely important for ENSI, the Federal Office of Public Health, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and for further partners in the nuclear security domain. We need to work together to systematically and consistently strengthen nuclear security in Switzerland.”
     Switzerland currently has four nuclear power reactors generating about thirty five percent of its electricity.