Serbian Nuclear Operator's Capabilities Enhanced with EU Funds

27 Jun 2023 - 29 Jun 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Vinča, June 27, 2023 – The European Commission (EC) and the Public Company Nuclear Facilities of Serbia (PC NFS) celebrated the successful completion of an EU project on nuclear safeguards with a visit accompanied by a press conference held today at the premises of PC NFS in Vinča, Belgrade, showcasing the results of the initiative funded by the European Union.

The event, attended by representatives from the European Commission, Serbian authorities, and relevant academic institutions, marked a significant milestone in Serbia's commitment to preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Mr. Dalibor Arbutina, Acting Director of PC NFS, the sole nuclear operator in Serbia, stated that they identified the need to improve measurements, inventory, and control of nuclear materials at the Vinča site in line with the best practices of the European Union. This was now achieved with EUR 2.43 million EU contribution managed by the Science and Technology Centre in Ukraine (STCU) to strengthen PC NFS's capabilities in characterising nuclear material for accountancy and control, as well as its transport and storage.

Speaking at the press conference, Mrs. Elektra Tsigaridas, European Commission (EC) Programme Manager, alongside Dr. Klaus Mayer, Head of Unit of the EC Joint Research Centre, expressed her satisfaction with the brand new PC NFS capabilities, expected to boost Serbia’s nuclear safeguards.
Serbian authorities, including representatives from the Ministry of Interior, Security Information Agency, Customs, Ministry of Science and Technology, Serbian Regulatory Body, University of Belgrade, and University of Novi Sad, participated at the visit demonstrating the collective effort to bolster nuclear safeguards and ensure a safer and more secure future for the country and the region.

Key deliverables of the EU project include the provision of state-of-the-art instruments and infrastructure upgrade of the PC NFS radiochemical laboratory, including personnel training and effective utilisation of new equipment.

The European Commission through its International Nuclear Safety Cooperation instrument (INSC) supports the promotion of nuclear safety culture and radiation protection, the safe management of nuclear spent fuels and radioactive wastes, and the application of effective and efficient safeguards of nuclear materials around the world.

Nuclear safeguards, as mandated by the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty and the EURATOM Treaty, play a crucial role in ensuring that nuclear materials are not diverted from civil use and thus prevent unauthorized or malicious use.

The recently successfully concluded project equipped PC NFS with instruments for detection, identification and characterization of nuclear materials, as well as equipment related to its transport, storage, and safety. The equipment included a gamma detector, a laboratory HPGE spectrometer, a gamma camera, hand-held HPGE spectrometers, CZT spectrometers, alpha spectrometers, radioisotope identifiers, multi-purpose digital survey meters, neutron dosimeters, neutron spectrometers, X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, glove-boxes, transport and storage containers, and a vehicle for the transportation of nuclear or other radioactive materials.

Serbia as a member of the INSC has benefited a great deal from the instrument and will continue its close cooperation with the EU in promoting global nuclear safety. Under the instrument so far, the European Commission has financed projects in Serbia for more than 4.7 million EUR.

For more information contact Mr. Peter Mutovkin at peter.mutovkin@stcu.int

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