Work areas

State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) is the state regulatory and supervisory authority in the nuclear energy area and the safety of activities involving sources of ionising radiation in this area. VATESI sets safety requirements and regulations, supervises whether they are complied with, issues licences, permits and temporary permits, performs safety assessments of nuclear facilities, and conducts inspections, among other functions.
VATESI acts as independent governmental institution subordinated directly to the President and the Government. VATESI is a budget institution financed from the state budget of the Republic of Lithuania and by other legally generated income.
The Head of VATESI is nominated by the Prime Minister and is appointed for a six-year tenure by the President of the Republic of Lithuania. Deputy Heads of the Inspectorate are appointed for a six-year tenure by the Prime Minister and are nominated by the Head of VATESI.

The main activity priorities of VATESI are as follows:
• Supervise safety of Ignalina NP decommissioning;
• Supervise safety of construction and operation of spent nuclear fuel and of radioactive waste management facilities;
• Improve the framework of nuclear safety regulation and supervision in Lithuania;
• Ensure that nuclear material is used only for peaceful purposes.

VATESI Integrated Management System

VATESI has established and implemented a documented integrated management system (IMS) in line with the requirements of the LST EN ISO 9001:2015 „Quality Management Systems. Requirements“ and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) GSR Part 2 „Leadership and Management for Safety“. The VATESI quality management system is applicable to the area of regulation and supervising of nuclear safety, physical security of nuclear power facilities, physical security of nuclear materials and nuclear fuel cycle materials, radiation safety of activities with ionising radiation sources in the nuclear power area, international obligations of the Republic of Lithuania with regard non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

VATESI Management System Policy (pdf)

Certificate of Compliance

Who is responsible for the nuclear and radiation safety in Lithuania?

The primary responsibility for the assurance of the safety of the nuclear facilities and the activity involving nuclear materials is borne by the organizations operating these facilities or performing other operations with nuclear materials, e.g. in Lithuania the State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is responsible for the safe condition of the permanently shut down nuclear reactors, decommissioning of nuclear facilities and the management of the radioactive waste.

VATESI performs the functions of:

·         The authority regulating the activities in the nuclear energy area

VATESI sets the safety requirements for the nuclear facilities, nuclear and nuclear fuel cycle materials and supervises whether they are complied with.

·         The supervisory authority

VATESI supervises the activity in the nuclear facilities and the activity with the sources of ionising radiation. VATESI supervises the assurance of the nuclear and radiation safety and the physical security of the permanently shut down power units and other equipment, the control over the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, the decommissioning of Ignalina NPP, radioactive waste management. Moreover, VATESI supervises the holders of small quantities of nuclear materials, e.g. how the material is stored and physical security assured in the Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology for research and by Vilnius University Hospital Santariškės Clinics.

·         The authority issuing licences, permits or temporary permits

VATESI accepts applications for the activity in the nuclear energy area and the activity with the sources of ionising radiation, and conducts the surveillance of such activity in the nuclear facilities. VATESI evaluates the documents submitted by the applicants for undertaking the licensed activities, makes the decisions on issuing the licences, permits or temporary permits, amending their conditions, the notification about the suspended validity, the suspension and revoked validity, e.g. the surveillance of the activity in constructing a nuclear power plant, transporting nuclear materials or using a source of ionising radiation to perform seismic research or to inspect weld seams in Ignalina NPP.

·         The emergency preparedness authority in the case of a nuclear or radiological accident

VATESI initiates the activity of the VATESI Emergency Centre, provides urgent information to the concerned state and municipality institutions about the radiological situation in the nuclear facility, forecasts on the development of the nuclear and radiological accident, issues recommendations and other information relevant to the event.

·         The authority representing the interests of the state in international organisations and assuring that the commitments of the Republic of Lithuania under the international treaties would be met.

Updated: 29-03-2024