Proposals for the Future Development of the Russian Automated Federal Information System for Nuclear Material Control and Accounting: The Universal Reporting Concept

Development of the automated Russian Federation Federal Information System for Nuclear Material Control and Accounting (FIS) started in 1996. From the beginning, the creation of the FIS was based on the concept of obtaining data from the material balance areas of the organizations, which would enable the system to collect detailed information on nuclear material. In December 2000, the organization-level summarized reporting method was mandated by the Russian Federation and subsequently implemented for all organizations. Analysis of long-term FIS objectives, reporting by all the MBAs in Russia, showed that the present summarized reporting approach decreed by regulations posed a fair number of problems. We need alternative methods that allow the FIS to obtain more detailed information on nuclear material but which accurately reflect the technical and economic resources available to Russian organizations. One possible solution is the universal reporting method. In August 2003, the proposals of the FIS working group to transition to the universal reporting method were approved at the fourth meeting of the Joint Coordinating Committee for Implementation of the Russian Federation and U.S. Government-to-Government Agreement on Cooperation in the Area of Nuclear Material Physical Protection, Control and Accounting (JCC). One of the important elements of universal reporting is that organizations handling nuclear material will establish 'reporting areas' in cooperation with MinAtom of Russia. A reporting area may consist of one MBA, several MBAs, or even an entire organization. This paper will discuss the universal reporting concept and its major objectives and methods for the FIS