The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), together with 61 of its Member States and 7 international organizations, has just successfully completed a 2-day exercise of radiological emergency plans. This test involved a simulated accident at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant in eastern Romania.

The IAEA′s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) and emergency operations centres of Member States and international organizations were fully activated as part of the exercise. The IEC received notification of the simulated accident from Romania and informed participating Member States and international organizations about the test emergency. The Centre also coordinated the response to test requests for assistance to the affected Member States.

Mr. Tomihiro Taniguchi, Deputy Director General, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, explained that the exercise is an important part of international efforts to be fully prepared to respond to a nuclear or radiological incident or emergency anywhere.

The exercise was prepared by the Working Group on Coordinated International Exercises as part of the Inter-Agency Committee for Response to Nuclear Accidents (IACRNA). For this exercise the group comprised the IAEA, the European Commission (EC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC - observer), Romania and Romania′s neighbouring countries.

The results of the exercise are being evaluated and will be reviewed at a meeting of national competent authorities at the IAEA in Vienna in July 2005.