The ENSI Board is the strategic and internal supervisory body of the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate. Its members are elected by the Federal Council for a term of office of four years on each occasion and, in particular, they have a specialist knowledge of nuclear safety as well as management experience. They are not permitted to engage in any commercial activities, nor may they hold any office at Federal or cantonal level which could detract from their independence.
The ENSI Board endeavours to continue strengthening ENSI as a supervisory authority, and is committed to the ongoing improvement of safety. For these purposes, it strives to be open and transparent, and to maintain constant dialogue with all stakeholders as well as the general public.
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.
The Federal Council appointed Andreas Abegg as the new Chair and Cornelia Spitzer as the new Vice Chair of the ENSI Board. Both will take up their positions on 1 November 2020. Rafael Macián-Juan will replace Jacques Giovanola, an ENSI Board member for many years, as of 1 January 2021.
The Federal Council has appointed Lisa Martinenghi as a member of the ENSI Board: The doctor in civil engineering will take up office on 1 August 2020.
Martin Zimmermann will step down from his position as Chairman of the ENSI Board at the end of June 2020. The decision was triggered by publicly expressed accusations of a lack of independence on his part.
The ENSI Board has set out strategic objectives in the following areas for the regulatory activities of ENSI during the years 2020 to 2023: Operation of nuclear installations, shutting down and decommissioning of nuclear installations, radiation protection and emergency preparedness, disposal of radioactive waste, information and communication, personnel policy and financial policy.
The Federal Council has appointed Martin Zimmermann as the new Vice Chair of the ENSI Board with effect from 1 September 2019. Prof Andreas Abegg has also been appointed to the ENSI Board.
On 28 August 2019, the ENSI Board elected Marc Kenzelmann as the new Director General of the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI. He will take office on 1 July 2020. The current Deputy Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE will succeed Hans Wanner.
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.
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.
