Legal Regulation of Nuclear Safety

Nuclear safety is a priority task for the countries that use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. To ensure nuclear safety each country needs to create efficient infrastructure and legal basis. If an accident occurs at a nuclear energy facility, negative impacts are felt far beyond the country's boundaries. Therefore the international community pays great attention to the issues of nuclear energy management and legal regulation. International institutions assist countries in improving nuclear safety and draw up international agreements that establish requirements for safe operation and control of nuclear energy facilities.

Lithuania has joined the principal international agreements and conventions related with safe operation of nuclear energy facilities and the use of nuclear materials.

Based on the principles and requirements defined in international agreements, Lithuania has created the national legal system for regulating nuclear safety. As nuclear safety requirements are becoming more stringent, the legal system has been continuously improved.

The key legal documents associated with the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes are the Law on Nuclear Energy, the Law on Radioactive Waste Management, and the Law on Radiation Protection. Based on the said Laws, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and its institutions develop secondary legislation, with VATESI being responsible for establishing nuclear safety, nuclear materials accounting and control standards.