The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) is responsible for ensuring that Swiss nuclear power plants do not pose safety risks.
ENSI is an independent public law entity within the Federal Administration. It performs its supervisory functions independently and under its own initiative. It reports to the Federal Council, which may discharge the ENSI Board. The overriding objective of federal supervision of nuclear power production is to prevent people and the environment from becoming exposed to the harmful effects of radiation. ENSI therefore supervises all five of Switzerland's nuclear power plants as well as interim storage sites for radioactive waste and Swiss nuclear research facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute, the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and the University of Basel. Inspections are carried out to verify compliance with regulations, safe operating conditions at facilities and adequate levels of radiation protection. ENSI is also responsible for ensuring the safe transportation of radioactive materials and searching for sites that may serve as deep geological repositories for radioactive waste.
