German-Swiss Commission Discusses IPPAS Follow-up Mission and Deep Geological Repositories

At this year’s meeting, the German-Swiss Commission devoted particular attention to the progress made in deep geological disposal. The results of the IAEA’s international review missions in Switzerland and Germany were also discussed in Munich on 22 and 23 November 2023.

A key topic at the 41st Main Meeting of the German-Swiss Commission (GSC) was decommissioning procedures and progress in the field of deep geological disposal. ENSI also reported on the results of the IPPAS Follow-Up Mission, which took place in Switzerland in October and November 2023. In addition, Germany and Switzerland discussed ongoing developments in regulatory activities, organisational changes, changes in legislation and regulations, and the state of nuclear facilities. The four expert working groups of the GSC reported on their respective topics of plant safety, emergency response, radiation protection and radioactive waste management.

ENSI Director Marc Kenzelmann praised the open exchange with the German partner authority with the comment: “The constructive discussions with our peers from Germany continue to make an important contribution to strengthening nuclear safety in both countries and building mutual trust.”

Participants of the 41st GSC Main Meeting 2023

This year’s meeting was attended by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Interior, the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection, TÜV SÜD Energietechnik GmbH Baden-Württemberg and the German Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS [Organisation for Plant and Reactor Safety]).

The Swiss delegation was led by ENSI. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the Federal Office of Public Health and the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) also participated. The next GSC Main Meeting will take place in Switzerland in 2024.