PHARE and TACIS nuclear safety programmes
The assistance programme started by the European Union in 1991 consists of the PHARE assistance directed to the candidate countries of Central Europe and the TACIS assistance directed to the states of the former Soviet Union. The investments in nuclear safety through these programmes have been more than 100 million EUR a year. Co-operation has been concentrated on the evaluation of the basic structure of the reactors, facility-specific aid and on the development of the operations of the safety authorities in these countries. The most extensive safety analysis was carried out in 1992-1994. Finland took part in this report on RBMK reactors as a non-EU country. The second phase of the programme in 1995-1996 reported especially on the condition of the oldest RBMK reactors. The third phase in 1996-1997 continued to develop the accident and failure analyses of the reactor type.
STUK has taken part in the development of operational activities of the nuclear safety authorities in the following PHARE countries: Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia; in Hungary as a leading consortium member and in other countries as a member of the consortium of western regulators and their technical support organisations. STUK has also participated in the regulatory and technical support in the TACIS projects in Russia, Ukraine and Armenia. Altogether STUK has participated (and still participates) over 55 PHARE and TACIS projects during the period 1994-2005 representing the total value of 6,7 million EUR to STUK. During the period 2003-2005 the number of projects have been 28 representing 4,0 million EUR to STUK.
