Background ANRA and NRSC developed emergency procedures to be used in case of nuclear and radiation emergencies for assessing the technological conditions and radiation situation, as well as to provide prognosis on the progression of the emergency. Related activities were to be carried out in the Emergency Response Center of ANRA. Existing emergency procedures needed review and improvement; the revised procedures were to be tested in an emergency exercise to verify the adequacy and proper functioning of emergency response measures. Armenia ratified the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management in August 2013 thereby affirmed the importance of the safe, sustainable and environmentally sound management of radioactive waste and spent fuel. In connection with the Armenian National Report on the Joint Convention, ANRA needed support from those countries that were already signatories of the Joint Convention to transfer their related experience to the ANRA. Several safety enhancement measures were implemented at the ANPP; some of them aiming to improve operational safety, particularly in the area of maintenance. In connection with the supervision and licensing of these measures, ANRA needed assistance from EU countries to develop regulatory requirements and procedures for the evaluation and monitoring of maintenance effectiveness, component ageing management and equipment qualification. According to the decision of the Government of the Republic of Armenia the “National programme on public exposure control and dose reduction due to naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), including radon gas and their progeny” needed a revision. In connection with the revision, the national reference levels based on ANRA’s radon monitoring activities were reconsidered, together with the national policy, strategy and action plan to manage long term risks from radon exposure in existing dwellings, buildings with public access, new buildings and at workplaces for any source of radon ingress. In view of the planned long-term operation of the ANPP, related safety review and licensing processes needed to be improved at ANRA, for example state-of-the-art requirements and methodologies for conducting static strength calculations for NPP SSCs were to be developed. The static strength calculations included e.g. pressurized thermal shock (PTS) analysis, determination of resistance against fatigue damage or resistance against brittle fracture. Objectives The main objective of the project was to improve the Armenian regulatory infrastructure on nuclear safety, as well as the safety assessment capabilities of ANRA and its TSO (NRSC) by transferring EU nuclear safety regulatory practices and know-how. It was aimed that the ANRA and its TSO acquire additional competence and experience in the technical domains covered by the project. The tasks carried out provided technical support to ANRA in specific domains related to strengthening regulatory capabilities in establishing safety regulations, as well as performing risk analyses and safety assessments related to nuclear power plants. The specific objectives of this project were as follows: • Updating the national nuclear regulatory infrastructure in Armenia in line with the new international safety standards to establish high level of safety in nuclear energy. • Supporting and strengthening the national nuclear safety regulatory system in Armenia and improving the organization and performance of the ANRA and its TSO. • Supporting the promotion of an effective nuclear safety culture in Armenia in line with the principles of the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The transfer of best European practice and the enhancement of the capabilities of the ANRA and its TSO constituted an essential part of the regulatory assistance activities. Results The project consisted of six technical tasks as follows: • Task A1 – Observation of a national emergency exercise This task reviewed the emergency procedures of ANRA and contributed to the development of complementary procedures. It also provided support to confirm the correct functioning of the procedures by participating in an emergency exercise. • Task A2 – Development of an improved legal structure EU experts provided assistance to support Armenia in its undertaking to improve the national nuclear legislation completing the legal and regulatory framework with respect to nuclear security and physical protection covering both facilities and nuclear materials. • Task A3 – Joint Convention on the safety of spent fuel management and the safety of radioactive waste management Task A3 provided support related to the structure and content of Armenia’s first Report to the Joint Convention and to the review of documents related to radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management with a focus on the existing Armenian waste characterization requirements in comparison with the best practice in EU member states. • Task A4 – Operational safety Task A4 provided extensive support to update the regulatory requirements for the operational safety improvement of the ANPP with focus to enhance the current Armenian regulatory framework for the Ageing Management Program, Maintenance Effectiveness Monitoring and Equipment Qualification. • Task A5 – Radon concentration regulation in dwellings Within Task A5, EU experts provided assistance during the preparation of a revised National programme on public exposure control and dose reduction due to naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). The review has been carried out on the national programme and the national policy, strategy, and action plan. • Task A6 – Safety review and licensing Task A6 contributed to improving ANRA’s and NRSC’s safety review capacity in safety evaluations related to strength calculations of systems, structures and components (SSCs) and provided support to develop regulatory requirements for the PSA, format and contents of the SAR, and SSC strength calculations. The final meeting of AR/RA/05-06 was held on the 13th and 14th of July 2016, in Yerevan. According to the evaluation presented at the final meeting, all project tasks were carried out as planned and the activities could be finished according to the original project schedule. The work carried out in the project helped the Beneficiary to strengthen the capabilities of ANRA and its TSO in establishing safety regulations and conducting risk analyses and safety evaluations for operating and new NPPs. The project introduced enhancements to the Armenian legal and regulatory infrastructure; strengthened the nuclear and radiation safety regulatory framework of Armenia; promoted an effective nuclear safety culture and realized a sustainable knowledge transfer.