The HAEA submitted the documents necessary for the review of the regulatory framework for the safe and peaceful use of atomic energy to the IAEA

HAEA submitted to the IAEA the self-assessment documentation for the upcoming IAEA IRRS mission

On 5 August 2025 the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA) submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the self-assessment documentation for the upcoming IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission, reviewing the Hungarian regulatory framework for the safe and peaceful use of atomic energy. This article compiles all the relevant information on the mission, such as why it’s taking place, who the participants are and what the outcome of the team’s work will be.

At Hungary's invitation, a team of IAEA and international experts will arrive in October 2025 to review the regulatory system for the safe and peaceful use of atomic energy. In addition to the HAEA, the Baranya County Government Office, the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy and the Ministry of Energy will participate in the mission. The last IRRS mission took place 10 years ago, in May 2015, and since then there have been significant changes in the national nuclear safety regulatory framework, one of the most significant of which is the change in legal status of the HAEA on 1 January 2022.

What obliges us to undergo international review?

Article 9(3) of Directive 2009/71/EURATOM on establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations stipulates that " Member States shall at least every 10 years arrange for periodic self-assessments of their national framework and competent regulatory authorities and invite an international peer review of relevant segments of their national framework and/or authorities with the aim of continuously improving nuclear safety." In order to comply with the Directive, Hungary initiated the IRRS mission.

Self-assessment prior to the mission

Prior to the mission, organizations must conduct a self-assessment in various areas concerning the national framework and regulatory processes comprising of over 350 questions, developing SWOT analysis as well as action plans based on their results.

What will happen in October?

The mission will take place between 6 and 17 October 2025, where a team of international experts, coordinated by the IAEA will evaluate the regulatory infrastructure for safety against IAEA safety standards based on the self-assessment and the action plan as well as through interviews conducted with members of the involved organizations. The teams will compile their findings in a report, providing recommendations, suggestions as well as highlighting areas of good practice that can be adapted by other countries to improve their practices.

Next steps

Based on the findings of the review team, an action plan is developed and implemented. Countries that have hosted an IRRS mission are encouraged to invite a follow-up mission within two to three years following the initial mission to review progress in implementing the recommendations and suggestions.

It is important to highlight that an IRRS mission is not intended to be a comparison between different countries' regulatory systems. Instead, it is an evaluation of a country's regulatory infrastructure for nuclear and radiation safety against IAEA safety standards. The mission is an important factor for Hungary in ensuring that oversight of the use of atomic energy is carried out to high standards.

The IAEA report on the IRRS mission in 2015 is available in Hungarian here and can be downloaded in English by clicking here.

For more information on the IRRS peer review process, please visit the IAEA website here.