Participants of the System and Their Roles

Nuclear safety

State regulation in the sphere of safety of atomic power use is carried out by:

The President of the Republic of Belarus (http://www.president.gov.by/en/), who is authorized to do the following:

• define the main directions of the State policy in the sphere of atomic power use;
• approve State goal-oriented programmes;
• make decisions about the location, design, construction, commissioning, extending the operation life, limiting the operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power plant or its unit;
• appoint the republican authorities or any other State organizations in charge of the nuclear power plant;
• make decisions concerning the security, protection of the citizens and the environment while atomic power use;
• make decisions about prevention and elimination of the aftermath caused by emergency situations connected with atomic power use;
• determine the State bodies and other organizations responsible for the development of nuclear energy as well as their competence in this sphere;
• make decisions about the location, design, construction, commissioning, extending the operation life, limiting the operation, and decommissioning of a nuclear installation (with the exception of a nuclear power plant or its unit), and (or) storage facilities;
• execute other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus (http://government.gov.by/en/) has the authority to do the following:

• Implement state policy in the sphere of atomic power use;
• coordinate the activities of State bodies and public organizations;
• organize development and implementation of state goal-oriented programmes;
• make decisions about the location, design, construction, commissioning, extending the operation life, limiting the operation, and decommissioning of nuclear installation (except nuclear power plant or its unit and (or) storage facilities);
• appoint the Republican State authorities or other public organizations in charge of a nuclear installation, and (or) storage facilities (except nuclear power plant);
• determine the order of public discussion of the issues in this sphere with the participation of associations, organizations and citizens;
• provide compensation for the damage caused by the harmful effects of ionizing radiation or activities connected with the use of nuclear energy in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Belarus;
• determine the conditions and procedures for the physical protection of nuclear facilities;
• determines the order of the state surveillance over the physical protection of nuclear facilities;
• take measures to ensure the implementation of international treaties of the Republic of Belarus in this sphere;
• coordinates the international cooperation of the Republic of Belarus;
• execute other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Listed below are the authorized state bodies implementing regulation to ensure the safety of atomic power use:

• The Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus (http://rescue01.gov.by/);
• The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus (http://www.minpriroda.gov.by/en);
• The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus (http://minzdrav.gov.by/en);
• The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (http://mvd.gov.by/);
• The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus (http://www.kgb.by/eng/).

The Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus performs the following functions:

• executes State surveillance in the sphere of nuclear and radiation safety, as well as the physical protection of nuclear facilities;
• organizes and carries out State surveillance over the management of spent nuclear materials and operational radioactive waste;
• monitors the implementation of the legislation in the sphere of nuclear and radiation safety;
• participates in organizing and carrying out conformity assessment of the equipment, devices and technologies for nuclear facilities;
• maintains a unified State system of registration and control over the ionizing radiation sources and the State system of registration and control of nuclear materials in Belarus;
• organizes the examination of nuclear installations and (or) storage facilities, as well as their design projects, inviting independent experts if necessary;
• executes other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Other State bodies within the framework of their competence perform the following functions:

• provide control over the physical protection of nuclear facilities;
• coordinate the commissioning and decommissioning programmes of nuclear and (or) storage facilities;
• participate in the development and implementation of the external emergency plan;
• endorse technical normative legal acts in the sphere of nuclear energy;
• exercute other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Local and self-government institutions perform the following functions:

• organize and take part in the discussion of the issues in the sphere of atomic power use with the participation of associations, organizations and citizens;
• participate in the activities ensuring the protection of the citizens and the environment from the ionizing radiation exposure exceeding the limits established by technical regulations in the sphere of atomic power use;
• control within the respective administrative-territorial unit over the readiness of organizations and citizens to act in the event of a radiation accident connected with atomic power use;
• participate in the elimination, limitation or reduction of the aftermath of a radiological accident connected with atomic power use;
• inform citizens through the local media about the radiological situation within the respective administrative-territorial unit;
• execute other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Radiation safety

State management in the sphere of radiation safety is accomplished by the President of the Republic of Belarus, the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, the local executive and administrative bodies, other State bodies and organizations within their competence.

The President of the Republic of Belarus (http://www.president.gov.by/en/) defines a unified State policy in the sphere of radiation safety, executes other powers in accordance with the Constitution and legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus (http://government.gov.by/en/) performs the following functions:

• ensures the implementation of the unified State policy in the sphere of radiation safety;
• organizes the development, approval and implementation of national programs in the sphere of radiation safety;
• determines with the concurrence of the President of the Republic of Belarus the list of ionizing radiation sources, restricted for import to and (or) export from the Republic of Belarus based on non-economic reasons;
• establishes with the concurrence of the President of the Republic of Belarus the procedure and conditions for issuing transportation permits for ionizing radiation sources restricted for import to and (or) export from the Republic of Belarus based on non-economic reasons;
• establishes the procedure of interaction of State authorities, State agencies and organizations in case of detection of ionizing radiation sources, as well as in the event of their arrest during transit across the State border of the Republic of Belarus;
• establishes the procedure for State surveillance in the sphere of radiation safety;
• establishes the procedure for State registration of ionizing radiation sources and maintains a unified State system of  registration and control of ionizing radiation sources;
• establishes the procedure of creation and maintenance of a unified State system of monitoring and registration of individual radiation doses;
• approves the Statute of the National Commission on Radiation Protection of Belarus under the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus and its composition;
• makes decisions about the location of the facilities in which radioactive waste is handled;
• coordinates and organizes the implementation of the commitments of the Republic of Belarus in the framework of international agreements in the sphere of radiation safety;
• establishes the procedures for radiation monitoring;
• approves the format of the radiation hygiene passport for the users of ionizing radiation sources as well as the procedure of its record-keeping and use;
• executes other powers in accordance with the Constitution and legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus (http://rescue01.gov.by/) performs the following functions:

• takes measures to implement the unified State policy in the sphere of nuclear and radiation safety;
• coordinates the activities of the republican State authorities as well as  other state agencies and organizations;
• organizes and carries out State surveillance;
• adopts normative legal acts in the sphere of radiation safety, as well as technical normative legal acts;
• issues and revokes permits for transportation of ionizing radiation sources restricted for import to and (or) export from the Republic of Belarus based on non-economic reasons or suspends their operation;
• makes decisions about complete or partial suspension of operations connected with the management of ionizing radiation sources and the operation of facilities for radioactive waste management until elimination of the revealed violations of the normative legal acts in the sphere of radiation safety, including technical normative legal acts;
• establishes the procedure for the development, endorsement and approval of the scheme for radioactive waste management;
• establishes the form of the accompanying transportation passport of radioactive waste, as well as the procedure of its completion;
• takes measures to implement the State policy in the sphere of radiation safety;
• adopts the sanitary code, rules and hygienic regulations;
• organizes and carries out the state sanitary inspection;
• creates a unified State system of monitoring and registration of individual radiation doses and ensures its operation;
• executes other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus (http://minzdrav.gov.by/en) performs the following functions:

• takes measures to implement the unified State policy in the sphere of radiation safety;
• approves (puts in force) sanitary norms, rules and hygienic standards;
• organizes and carries out the State sanitary inspection;
• creates a unified State system of monitoring and registration of individual radiation doses and ensures its operation;
• executes other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus(http://www.minpriroda.gov.by/en) performs the following functions:

• takes measures to implement the unified State policy in the field of radiation safety;
• executes State control over the compliance with the requirements in the sphere of environmental protection;
• organizes radiation monitoring;
• executes other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Local executive and administrative bodies perform the following functions:

• ensure radiation safety within the framework of their jurisdictions;
• assess the level of radiation safety;
• organize the development and ensure the implementation of regional (territorial) programmes in the sphere of radiation safety;
• executes other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Other state bodies and organizations within the framework of their jurisdiction perform the following functions:

• take measures to implement the unified State policy in the sphere of nuclear and radiation safety;
• assess the level of radiation safety;
• execute other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

The National Commission on Radiation Protection of Belarus under the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus (interdisciplinary scientific expertise, recommendation and consulting body on radiation safety, radiation protection and radiation monitoring):

• prepares recommendations on ensuring radiation protection to the republican State authorities and other State organizations subordinated to the Government of the Republic of Belarus, as well as to State research organizations;
• considers and evaluates the scientific data in the sphere of radiation safety and recommends its use in practice.