Estonia allocates 2.2 million euros to build nuclear regulator

Estonia will begin building a nuclear regulatory body next year, with the government allocating 2.2 million euros to the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, ERR reports.

The authority, known by its Estonian abbreviation TTJA, will issue permits and oversee nuclear activities. Estonia currently has no competent body responsible for nuclear safety oversight, according to the explanatory note to the nuclear energy law passed this summer.

Maanus Urb, an adviser at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, said the regulator would assess nuclear safety. Although no nuclear power plant is currently being built in Estonia, the state is identifying potential locations for one. Urb said the work was being done in stages and would require an agency capable of assessing the proposals.

TTJA deputy director general Lauri Kütt said the current plan is to hire 13 specialists to launch the regulator, with a goal of reaching about 40 staff over four years.

The 2.2 million euros will fund training, staff costs and expert assessments to enable independent state oversight, Kütt said. He added that the four-year project plan could change over time.