Belgrade, 03 February, 2022 – Since 2021, Serbian Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Security Directorate (SRBATOM) has been a part of the European Commission international project whose objective is to upgrade the system for early warning on a nuclear or radiological accident. The project foresees the procurement and installation of 33 monitoring stations that are to be distributed throughout the entire territory of Serbia commensurate with the existing risks, and thus significantly enhance the coverage. Bearing in mind that the neighbouring countries have active nuclear power plants, and that Hungary plans to build new nuclear reactors, the installation of the new system will upgrade the early warning system on nuclear and radiological accidents. At the same time, these changes will enhance the mechanisms of timely measures to protect the public and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

The existing early warning system, which is supervised by the Directorate, was established in 2007 and consists of a network of nine monitoring stations. Thanks to the installation of the new system of early warning on a nuclear or radiological accident, Serbia will cover its entire territory with the latest equipment of the type.

The implementation of the project started on the meeting held on 01 and 02 February, which was attended both by the end-users and the representatives of the Directorate.

In accordance with the Law on Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Security (“Official Gazette of RS” Nos. 95/19 and 10/19), among other things, Serbian Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Security Directorate is obliged to monitor the level of radioactivity, its changes, to assess its impact on the public and the environment, and give instructions on the implementation of the appropriate measures. A part of the radioactivity monitoring system is a network of monitoring stations – detectors for automated environmental radioactivity measurement, or, in other words, an early warning system on a nuclear or radiological accident.