ENSI is responsible for the supervision of Swiss nuclear facilities, i.e. the nuclear power stations, the interim storage facility for radioactive waste, the nuclear research facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne. Its regulatory remit covers the entire life of a facility, i.e. from initial planning, through operation to final decommissioning including the disposal of radioactive waste.

Its remit also includes the safety of staff and the public and their protection from radiation, sabotage and terrorism.

ENSI is also involved in the transport of radioactive materials to and from nuclear facilities and in the continuing geoscientific investigations to identify a suitable location for the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste.

ENSI supports research into nuclear safety and is represented on more than 70 international commissions and specialist groups working in the field of nuclear safety. It makes, therefore an active contribution to new international safety guidelines. Through its network of contacts, ENSI is in touch with current developments in science and technology and discharges its regulatory remit on the basis of global experience in nuclear energy.

Background Articles

11 March 2021

Ten Years on from Fukushima (6/6): Conclusions

The events in Japan are a reminder that we must never let down our guard. It is essential to ensure the safety of Swiss nuclear power plants right up until their final days of operation. Moreover, the accident in Japan shone a light on another important aspect: emergency preparedness.

11 March 2021

Ten years on from Fukushima, the ENSI Board still holds that safety has priority over political or economic interests

Against the background of the lessons learnt from the major nuclear accident in Fukushima, the ENSI Board will continue to carry out its duties both vigilantly and independently, while ensuring the clear separation of ENSI’s regulatory safety function on the one hand from economic and political interests on the other.

1 August 2016

ENSI’s tasks

150 employees of the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI work every day in various fields for the nuclear safety of the Swiss population.

1 August 2016

We vouch for the safety of the population.

ENSI’s successful supervisory work largely depends on the quality of its staff. It is not only their experience and special qualifications that are needed, but also their values, their attitude and their ability to enter into a critical, but constructive relationship with operators and with the stakeholders in politics and society.

1 August 2016

A credible partner in questions of nuclear safety

The Federal Council’s energy strategy for 2050 is based on a gradual withdrawal from the nuclear energy programme. Under the new conditions, ENSI, as a specialised body of the Confederation that is politically and economically independent, also ensures the safety of nuclear installations.

6 March 2012

The 12 IRRS mission modules

During the two-week IRRS mission, the IAEA experts will investigate how ENSI performs its supervisory duties. To ensure that this scrutiny of ENSI is conducted in an orderly and systematic manner, the IAEA has developed a list containing about 2000 questions. The mission’s objective is to investigate the extent to which ENSI applies the safety […]