Summary
 
This assistance project provided a transfer of experience in regulatory practices to the Bulgarian Nuclear Safety Authority (BNSA). It was divided up into three broad tasks:
 
- Inspection Practices
Task 3 – Assessment Methodology
 
If time allowed, BNSA then developed the documents further.Task 1 – Review of BNSA’s strategy and management procedures
 
Sub-task 1.1 addressed this issue by way of four workshops; two of these were dedicated to this sub-task and two were joint Task 1.1 and Task 3.4 workshops, the latter task concerning a related subject: the evaluation of the licensee’s QA programme. A critical review of the nature and status of BNSA internal documentation was carried out in the course of the contract and gaps were identified.The overall conclusion on the Inspectorate on the Safe Use of Atomic Energy’s (ISUAE) internal quality management system is that the ISUAE Manual is acceptable for implementation; the structure of documents supporting this system is simple, logical and similar to international practice. The developed documents, which exist now in draft or final form, are recognised to be very helpful for management, existing and new staff in performing their duties. They are also fairly insensitive to possible changes in the organisational structure of the BNSA. This development should continue.
 
support is that changes in BNSA’s organisation can be controlled easier when a documented system is in place.
 
The knowledge and the experience of the CWR were used in the preparation, review and improvement of the overall structure, and selected parts of the manual. The work on this manual contributed also to a better understanding of the western practice regarding the structure of procedures and instructions within a general manual and regarding the need for concise formulation of instructions used in the framework of emergency planning
 
The primary aim of this task was to strengthen the inspection capabilities of BNSA by focusing on specific activities. In the three sub-tasks, the main attention was placed on the development and revision of written inspection procedures, but time was also given to sharing CWR experience and practices with the BNSA, and to providing formal training to BNSA inspectors in specific areas. As detailed in the individual task reports in Section 3, the results from this task were judged to be satisfactory. Some of these documents are now in routine use by BNSA inspectors.
 
Task 3 – Assessment Methodology
 
This Task was the largest, and was divided into five sub-tasks, covering different aspects of regulatory assessment. One of the important areas covered was project management for major regulatory assessments, relating to the large safety upgrading programmes being undertaken or planned for the Kozloduy reactors. In addition, advice was provided to the BNSA in defining a regulatory approach to the assessment of the safety aspects of fuel reloads and spent fuel storage.
 
 
Beneficiary Organization Details
Nuclear Regulatory Agency (Bulgaria)
http://www.bnsa.bas.bg
Project Aims
The project was the 3rd year continuation of BG/RA/01-02 having the objective to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of the nuclear safety regime in Bulgaria and to improve the organization and performance of the Nuclear Regulatory Agency in a further step.
Project Results
The project was completed according to the specified Terms of references. The following areas have been covered by the project:
 

• Review of the Bulgarian Nuclear Safety Authority strategy and managment procedures;
• Inspection practices, and
• Licensing assessment methodologies

Further Project Results
Further information on the project results could be sought from the beneficiary organization.