Overview on technical co-operation activities deployed between Romania and International Atomic Energy Agency

Romania became a Member State of the IAEA in 1957. From the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s Romania received assistance in the frame of the IAEA Technical Co-operation Program mainly in the following areas: research in nuclear physics, medical issues and some application of radiation and isotopes. In 1976 Romania decided to use CANDU type reactors for its NPPs. The construction of five units (of 660 MWe each) started in 1978 at Cernavoda. The orientation of Romania's Technical Co-operation projects was shifted towards the requirements raised by the national Nuclear Power Program and as such 18 projects of the IAEA and 3 projects of the UN development program (for which IAEA was a executive Agency) have been directly concerned with it. To develop scientific and technological support for nuclear power program a TRIGA 14 MW Materials Testing Reactor was commissioned at Pitesti in 1979. After 1989 the TC program was tailored to assist manpower training in areas related to nuclear power. In the period 1991 - 1995 a total of 33 TC projects were deployed. The largest part of researches were allotted to projects in nuclear engineering and technology field including also safety aspects (41%), followed by nuclear physics research (25%). During 1991 - 1994 Romania received 12% of the total funds allotted for TC program in Europe. In 1995 - 1996 cycle there were 24 on-going TC projects in Romania, implying the total resource allocation of USD 1,27 million. Diverse areas were covered by the program: 6 projects were related to Cernavoda NPP, followed by applications of nuclear techniques in medicine, agriculture and environment. A special attention was given to the following two projects: Industrial Radiation Sterilization and Decommissioning Plan for WWR-S research reactor. In the present cycle the first model project in Romania was started by the Agency based on initially approved financing of USA 1,6 million. The main area covered is still nuclear safety. For 1999 - 2000 biennial cycle Romania tried to comply with the new IAEA requirement 'Fewer by better projects', presenting 10 proposals for new TC projects