The draft Use of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes Bill was examined and unanimously adopted on first reading (conceptually) at a plenary session of the Legislative Chamber on March 5, the Uzatom Agency said.
The bill aims to create legal framework for the functioning of state institutions and systems for ensuring the safety of the use of atomic energy, as well as introducing into national legislation effective safety mechanisms for the use of atomic energy.
The draft law provides for basic principles for the use of atomic energy:
- fundamental principle is the protection of the public, individuals and legal entities and the environment from radioactive hazards;
- priority of safety principle - ensuring safety when using atomic energy over all other aspects of atomic energy use;
- principle of social protection of citizens - provision of social protection of citizens living and working in areas where nuclear facilities are located;
- principle of independence - independence of the state safety regulatory agencies in their decision making and the exercise of authority from the government in the field of the use of atomic energy;
- principle of delineation of responsibility - delineation of responsibility and functions of government bodies and state safety regulatory bodies in the field of atomic energy use;
- principle of involvement - participation of citizens and organizations in the discussion of policies, draft bills, as well as of practical activities in the field of the use of atomic energy;
- principle of openness of information - the accessibility of information related to the activities on the use of atomic energy.
The experience of countries that successfully use nuclear power (Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, India, Italy, Spain, China, Canada, Korea, Lithuania, Russia, Romania, the United States, the Slovak Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, France, Finland, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been studied when preparing the draft bill.
