General Department of Safety Regulation of Nuclear Facilities

The General Department of Safety Regulation of nuclear facilities assists the Chairman of the Agency in the implementation of his/her regulatory and control functions with regard to the activities connected with nuclear facilities, nuclear material, and management of radioactive waste in nuclear facilities, as well as with regard to the qualification and certification of the personnel in nuclear facilities and sites with sources of ionizing radiation.

The department carries out the following activities:

1. plans and carries out inspections, assesses and undertakes actions for optimization of the effectiveness of control over the nuclear safety, radiation protection, physical protection of nuclear facilities and management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste in nuclear facilities;
2. participates in the analyzing of incidents, emergencies, failures of structures, systems and equipment related to nuclear safety and radiation protection, operational data and indicators;
3. controls the compliance of the nuclear facilities with the legislative acts on nuclear safety, radiation protection and physical protection;
4. takes part in the carrying out of assessment of the submitted by the applicant documentation and prepares the issuing, motivation for refusal, amendment, supplementation, renewal, termination and revoking of licences and permits, as well as the issuing of motivation for refusal and revoking of individual licences and licenses for specialized training for carrying out activities in nuclear facilities or with sources of ionizing radiation;
5. proposes assignments for research, analysis and expertise related to the assessment of nuclear safety, radiation protection and physical protection;
6. participates in the preparation of data for the IAEA information systems with regard to the operation of nuclear facilities and the emergency events related to them;
7. participates in the emergency team of the Chairman of the Agency for action in case of accidents;
8. develops drafts for internal rules and other internal acts related to insuring the quality of the activities carried out by the department;
9. keeps registers of the issued permits and licences for operation of nuclear facilities and individual licences for work in nuclear facilities;
10. keeps the central register for nuclear material;
11. participates in the preparation of the national reports on the implementation of the obligations ensuing from the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention on Safety in Management of Spent Fuel and Safety in Management of Radioactive Waste, as well as in the preparation of the reports on the bilateral agreements in the field of safe use of nuclear energy;
12.  verifies the compliance of the obligations undertaken in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons;
13. prepares the necessary information in connection with the application of Safeguards, pursuant to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and assists the IAEA inspectors in the implementation of their control activities;
14. individually or jointly with other competent authorities implements the control over the physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities;
15. prepares the documentation related to issuing of licences for activities involving arms and goods and technologies with a possible dual use and inputs information into the automated interinstitutional system for control over the foreign trade activities involving arms and goods and technologies with a possible dual use;
16. controls and analyzes the system for selection, training and maintaining the qualification of the personnel of the licensees and the holders of permissions who carry out activities with nuclear facilities or sources of ionizing radiation;
17. controls the compliance with the limits and conditions for safe operation at nuclear facilities and with the conditions of the issued licenses and permissions;
18. inspects the fulfillment of the timetables for periodic tests and technical servicing of structures, systems and equipment related to nuclear safety and radiation protection;
19. inspects the technical condition of structures, systems and equipment related to nuclear safety and radiation protection and the housekeeping;
20. inspects the radiation conditions in the premises and on-site, at the radiation protection area and monitored area of nuclear facilities;
21. controls the implementation of the nondestructive testing of metal of pipelines and equipment related to nuclear safety and radiation protection;
22. controls the implementation of the maintenance activities related to nuclear safety and radiation protection;
23. implements control over the technical safety of equipment with increased risk on the territory of the nuclear power plants;
24. carries out the obligations of a contact point, responsible for the physical protection of nuclear material;
25. participates in the current work related to the preparation and implementation of programmes and projects for assistance to the Agency financed through international co-operation;
26. prepares documents, summarizes information, carries out analyses and prepares expert assessments related to the management of the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities Fund and the Radioactive Waste Fund.
27. assists the work of the qualification examination commission of the Agency in the issuing of certificates of competence as well as in the preparation and carrying out of the sessions;
28. keeps register of the cases of ascertained illegal traffic of nuclear material and sources of ionizing radiation and prepares data for the IAEA information database regarding them;
29. takes part in the preparation of analysis, statements, reports, information and reviews as well as in the development of the official position of the Agency on matters pertaining to the competencies of the department, ensuing from the membership of the Republic of Bulgaria in the European Union;
30. prepares the documents related to the implementation of the obligations ensuing from the application of the safeguards pursuant to the Treaty on the establishment of EURATOM with regard to carrying out of inspections on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.