Tekniikka & Talous, weekly business paper, reports that Jukka Laaksonen, Director General of the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) has been elected chairman of the Western European Nuclear Regulators’ Association WENRA. Mr Laaksonen was elected to this position with an unanimous decision at WENRA’s meeting.

WENRA, established in 1999, consists of nuclear safety authorities of EU countries and Switzerland and aims at getting the safety of European nuclear power plants to reach a minimum level agreed on by all members. The association also aims at developing safety continuously on the basis of accumulated experience and technological developments.

The general safety principles generated by WENRA are directed for 150 European nuclear power plants’ safety monitoring. These principles are to be implemented by the end of the year 2010. Similar principles are also being prepared for nuclear waste management and for new nuclear plants. The general principles include ideas of Finnish origin, too, and in relation to new build, experiences of Olkiluoto 3 monitoring have been used.

Jukka Laaksonen continues in his position as the Director General of STUK.