NEA policy papers

This page contains a selection of NEA policy papers on various aspects of nuclear energy production and use for peaceful purposes, covering the following subjects:

• General interest papers
• Nuclear safety and regulation
• Radioactive waste management
• Radiological protection

General interest papers

Nuclear energy and addressing climate change
The need to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in an effort to tackle climate change has become a major driver of energy policy. Indeed, many believe that an "energy revolution" is needed to decarbonise energy supply, which is heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

Nuclear Competence Building (2004)
Summary Report
This booklet, a summary of the full report, presents the main results of an international survey on initiatives launched during recent years in the area of nuclear education and training. Key human resource issues are discussed and good practices regarding international collaboration are identified.

Nuclear Electricity Generation: What Are the External Costs? (2003)
Broad economic analysis becomes increasingly important in the context of market deregulation and integration of environmental and social aspects in policy making. External costs will remain a challenge for policy makers as long as they are not assessed and recognised in a reliable and fair way across all sectors of the economy. This report provides insights into the internalised and external costs of nuclear-generated electricity and alternative sources.

Society and Nuclear Energy: Towards a Better Understanding (2002)
While signs of a possible nuclear energy renaissance are visible worldwide, it is highly important to understand better the views of civil society on nuclear technologies, how their risks are perceived, and how to establish effective communication between all stakeholders aiming at enhancing consensus building prior to decision making. This report is based upon an in-depth analysis of research work and published literature on risk perception and communication , public participation in policy and decision making and the evolution of public opinion on nuclear energy. It will be of interest to policy makers, governmental agencies and industry. Additionally, members of civil society and various stakeholders eager to learn more about social issues related to the development of nuclear energy will find relevant information in this report.

Nuclear Energy and the Kyoto Protocol (2002)
The implementation of the Kyoto Protocol and the application of its "flexible mechanisms" are at the forefront of energy policy debates in most OECD countries. The potential role of nuclear energy is viewed very differently and assessed against various criteria by the range of stakeholders in governments and civil society according to their interests and priorities. This book provides key facts concerning nuclear energy and the Kyoto Protocol. It highlights the challenges and opportunities for the future development of nuclear energy in the context of implementing the Kyoto protocol, and more broadly in alleviating the risks of global climate change. The report will be of interest to energy policy makers and senior experts in the field as well as to members of civil society eager to better understand the issues raised within the debate on the role of nuclear energy in sustainable development. It will assist in making the necessary trade-offs involved in addressing global climate change.

Nuclear Energy in a Sustainable Development Perspective (2000)
This report for policy makers provides a review of the specific characteristics of nuclear energy in relation to sustainable development. Since national policy decisions in the energy field result from trade-offs between economic, social and environmental factors, nuclear energy should be put in perspective with alternatives. The report identifies the main benefits, impacts and risks of nuclear energy in order to help governments evaluate to what extent and under which conditions nuclear energy can contribute to sustainable development. The report, which does not in any way prejudge the energy policies of individual countries, can be seen as a useful instrument for the international community to gauge nuclear energy against long-term energy challenges.

Nuclear Education and Training: Cause for Concern? (Summary Report) (2000)
This report is a summary of the study “Nuclear Education and Training: Cause for Concern?”, which was undertaken to consider the concerns raised by the OECD/NEA Member countries that nuclear education and training is decreasing, perhaps to problematic levels.

Nuclear Power and Climate Change (1998)
The NEA has investigated the role that nuclear power could play in alleviating the risk of global climate change. The main objective of the study is to provide a quantitative basis for assessing the consequences for the nuclear sector and for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of alternative nuclear development paths. The analysis covers the economic, financial, industrial and potential environmental effects of three alternative nuclear power development paths (“nuclear variants”).

Nuclear safety and regulation

Improving Nuclear Regulation (2009)
Compilation of Regulatory NEA Guidance Booklets
A common theme throughout the series of NEA regulatory guidance reports, or “green booklets”, is the premise that the fundamental objective of all nuclear safety regulatory bodies is to ensure that nuclear facilities are operated at all times and later decommissioned in an acceptably safe manner. In meeting this objective the regulator must keep in mind that it is the operator that has responsibility for safely operating a nuclear facility; the role of the regulator is to oversee the operator’s activities as related to assuming that responsibility.

For the first time, the full series of these reports have been brought together in one edition. As such, it is intended to serve as a knowledge management tool both for current regulators and the younger generation of nuclear experts entering the regulatory field. While the audience for this publication is primarily nuclear regulators, the information and ideas may also be of interest to nuclear operators, other nuclear industry organisations and the general public.

The Regulatory Goal of Assuring Nuclear Safety (2008)
The fundamental objective of all nuclear safety regulatory bodies is to ensure that nuclear facilities are operated, as well as decommissioned, in an acceptably safe manner. However, in meeting this objective the regulator must keep in mind that it is the operator that has responsibility for safely operating a nuclear facility; the role of the regulator is to oversee the operator's activities as related to assuming that responsibility. The primary focus of the report is on how the regulatory body can systematically collect and make an integrated analysis of all the relevant safety information available to it and arrive at a sound judgement on the acceptability of the level of safety of the facilities that it regulates. It therefore follows that the target audience for this report is primarily nuclear regulators, although the information and ideas may also be of interest to nuclear operators, other nuclear industry organisations and segments of civil society.

CSNI Technical Opinion Papers - No. 9 (2007)
Living PSA and its Use in the Nuclear Safety Decision-Making Process
Development and Use of Risk Monitors at Nuclear Power Plants
Probabilistic safety analyses (PSAs) for many of the nuclear power plants throughout the world are being maintained as "living PSAs" (LPSAs), being updated to take account of changes to the design and operation of the plant, improvements in the understanding of how the plant behaves in fault situations and improved PSA methods, models and data. One of the specific applications of a living PSA is the risk monitor, used by operators and regulators to provide risk information employed in the decision-making process to ensure the safe operation of nuclear power plants. Since the first risk monitors were put into operation in 1988, the number of risk monitors worldwide has increased rapidly. By the end of 2003 there were more than 110 in operation and this figure should increase to over 150 when those monitors being developed are placed in service.

CSNI: Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations.

Learning from Nuclear Regulatory Self-assessment (2006)
International Peer Review of the CSN Report on Lessons Learnt from the Essential Service Water System Degradation Event at the Vandellós Nuclear Power Plant
Nuclear regulatory self-assessment together with the benchmarking of regulatory practices against those of other countries operating nuclear power plants are key elements in maintaining a high level of nuclear safety. In that light, the Spanish Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (CSN) formally asked the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) to establish an international peer review team to assess the CSN report on the lessons learnt as a result of the 2004 Vandellós II event involving essential service water system degradation

Regulatory Challenges in Using Nuclear Operating Experience (2006)
This report focuses on how regulatory bodies can ensure that operating experience is used effectively to promote the safety of nuclear power plants. While directed at nuclear power plants, the principles in this report may apply to other nuclear facilities as well.

CSNI Technical Opinion Papers - Nos. 7-8 (2005)
Living PSA and its Use in the Nuclear Safety Decision-Making Process
Development and Use of Risk Monitors at Nuclear Power Plants
Probabilistic safety analyses (PSAs) for many of the nuclear power plants throughout the world are being maintained as "living PSAs" (LPSAs), being updated to take account of changes to the design and operation of the plant, improvements in the understanding of how the plant behaves in fault situations and improved PSA methods, models and data. One of the specific applications of a living PSA is the risk monitor, used by operators and regulators to provide risk information employed in the decision-making process to ensure the safe operation of nuclear power plants. Since the first risk monitors were put into operation in 1988, the number of risk monitors worldwide has increased rapidly. By the end of 2003 there were more than 110 in operation and this figure should increase to over 150 when those monitors being developed are placed in service.

CSNI: Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations.

CSNI Technical Opinion Papers - No. 6 (2004)
PSA-based Event Analysis
This technical opinion paper provides the reader with a concise description of both the benefits and disadvantages of using probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) to analyse operational events in nuclear power plants in order to facilitate better operator feedback. The paper's objective is to present decision makers in the nuclear field with a clear technical opinion on how PSA techniques can be used to address this issue.

CSNI: Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations.

Nuclear Regulatory Decision Making (2005)
Based on the work of a Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) expert group, this report discusses some of the basic principles and criteria that a regulatory body should consider in making decisions and describes the elements of an integrated framework for regulatory decision making.

Direct Indicators of Nuclear Regulatory Efficiency and Effectiveness (2004)
Pilot Project Results
A task group was established by the NEA Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) to develop a set of direct performance indicators of regulatory efficiency and effectiveness. This report describes the pilot project carried out by the task group to test the indicators developed, and makes some general observations about the usefulness of individual indicators as well as recommendations for future activities. While primarily directed at nuclear safety regulators, the report may also be of interest to government authorities, nuclear power plant operators and the general public.

Collective Statement Concerning Nuclear Safety Research (2004)
Capabilities and Expertise in Support of Efficient and Effective Regulation of Nuclear Power Plants
The method for setting nuclear safety research priorities and the criteria for ranking programmes and projects, including for their closure, vary from one country to another. This collective statement addresses good practices in conducting nuclear safety research and focuses on closure considerations. It also considers the effects that closure can have for regulators and the industry, including potential losses of technical capability, expertise and facilities. The intended readership is primarily research managers, regulatory organisations and research centres. Government authorities, nuclear power plant operators and the general public may also be interested.

CSNI Technical Opinion Papers - No. 5 (2004)
Managing and Regulating Organisational Change in Nuclear Installations
Nuclear licensees are increasingly required to adapt to a more challenging commercial environment as electricity markets are liberalised. One of the costs that is often perceived as being amenable to control is staffing, and hence there is significant exploration of new strategies for managing this cost - for example, by reducing staffing levels, changing organisational structures, adopting new shift strategies, introducing new technology or increasing the proportion of work carried out by external contractors. However, if changes to staffing levels or organisational structures and systems are inadequately conceived or executed they have the potential to affect the way in which safety is managed. This technical opinion paper distils the findings of that workshop and sets out the factors that regulatory bodies might reasonably expect to be addressed within licensees' arrangements to manage organisational change.

CSNI: Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations.

CSNI Technical Opinion Papers - No. 4 (2004)
Human Reliability Analysis in Probabilistic Safety Assessment for Nuclear Power Plants
This technical opinion paper represents the consensus of risk analysts in NEA member countries on the current state of the art of human reliability analysis (HRA) in probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) for nuclear power plants. The paper's objective is to present decision makers in the nuclear field with a clear technical opinion on HRA status as implemented in industrial PSAs.

CSNI: Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations.

Collective Statement Concerning Nuclear Safety Research (2003)
Good Practice and Closure Criteria
The method for setting nuclear safety research priorities and the criteria for ranking programmes and projects, including for their closure, vary from one country to another. This collective statement addresses good practices in conducting nuclear safety research and focuses on closure considerations. It also considers the effects that closure can have for regulators and the industry, including potential losses of technical capability, expertise and facilities. The intended readership is primarily research managers, regulatory organisations and research centres. Government authorities, nuclear power plant operators and the general public may also be interested.

CSNI Technical Opinion Papers No. 3 (2003)
Recurring Events
Feedback on operating experience from nuclear power plants is intended to help avoid occurrence or recurrence of safety-significant events. Well-established feedback systems exist on the national and international levels. One such example is the Incident Reporting System (IRS), jointly operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the NEA.This technical opinion paper presents the international systems used to collect operating experience, the role of recurring events within them, examples of recurrence and ideas about how to improve the situation. It is expected that managers in both nuclear utilities and regulatory bodies, persons involved in operating experience feedback and analysis, inspectors and technical support organisation staff will be interested in this publication.

CSNI: Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations.

Nuclear Regulatory Review of Licensee Self-assessment (LSA) (2003)
Licensee self-assessment (LSA) by nuclear power plant operators is described as all the activities that a licensee performs in order to identify opportunities for improvements. An LSA is part of an organisation's holistic management system, which must include other process elements. Particularly important elements are: a process for choosing which identified potential improvements should be implemented and a process of project management for implementing the improvements chosen. Nuclear regulators expect the licensee to run an effective LSA programme, which reflects the licensee's "priority to safety".

Regulatory and Industry Co-operation on Nuclear Safety Research (2003)
Challenges and Opportunities
Regulator-industry co-operation in nuclear safety research has potential advantages as well as disadvantages. This report provides research managers in industry, regulatory organisations and research centres with information on current practices in collaborative safety research in OECD member countries. It identifies means of establishing effective industry-regulator collaboration and provides indications on how to overcome difficulties that can arise. It also advises on possible areas of concern. The report addresses in particular the issue of regulator independence, means to preserve it and ways to demonstrate it to the public while undertaking collaboration with industry.

The Regulatory Challenges of Decommissioning Nuclear Reactors (2003)
The purpose of this report is to describe the broad range of safety, environmental, organisational, human factors and public policy issues that may arise during the decommissioning of nuclear reactors and that the regulatory body should be prepared to deal with in the framework of its national regulatory system. The intended audience is primarily nuclear regulators, although the information and ideas may also be of interest to government authorities, environmental regulators, nuclear operating organisations, technical expert organisations and the general public.

Improving Versus Maintaining Nuclear Safety (2002)
The concept of improving nuclear safety versus maintaining it has been discussed at a number of nuclear regulators meetings in recent years. National reports have indicated that there are philosophical differences between NEA member countries about whether their regulatory approaches require licensees to continuously improve nuclear safety or to continuously maintain it. It has been concluded that, while the actual level of safety achieved in all member countries is probably much the same, this is difficult to prove in a quantitative way. In practice, all regulatory approaches require improvements to be made to correct deficiencies and when otherwise warranted.

CSNI Technical Opinion Papers Nos. 1-2 (2002)
Fire Probabilistic Safety Assessment for Nuclear Power Plants; Seismic Probabilistic Safety Assessment for Nuclear Facilities
These technical opinion papers represent the consensus of risk analysts and experts in NEA Member countries on the current state of the art in Fire Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) for nuclear power plant design and operation and Seismic PSA for nuclear facilities. The objective is to present clear technical opinions to decision makers in the nuclear community. As such, the intended audience is primarily nuclear safety regulators, senior researchers and industry leaders. Government authorities, nuclear power plant operators and the general public may also be interested.

CSNI: Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations.

The Nuclear Regulatory Challenge of Judging Safety Backfits (2002)
A frequently voiced demand by nuclear operators is the need for regulatory stability – that is, a stable set of regulatory safety requirements that the operator must meet and that are not changed frequently by the regulator. In other words, there is a growing pressure on regulators to reduce the number of safety backfits. This pressure will present a challenge to the regulator, which is the topic of this report.

Collective Statement on the Role of Research in a Nuclear Regulatory Context (2001)
In the present context of deregulation and privatisation of the nuclear industry, maintaining an adequate level of nuclear safety research is a primary concern for nuclear regulators, researchers and nuclear power plant licensees, as well as for government officials and the public. While these different stakeholders may have common concerns and interests, there may also be differences. At the international level, it is important to understand that divisions exist both within and among countries, not only in national cultures but also in the way regulators, researchers and licensees view the role of research.

Assuring Future Nuclear Safety Competencies (2001)
Maintaining nuclear safety competencies in nuclear regulatory authorities and the nuclear industry will be one of the most critical challenges to effective regulation of nuclear power in the coming decades. The challenge arises partly from the age profile of staff in the regulatory bodies, which could result in the loss of much of the present nuclear safety knowledge base due to retirements over the next decade or so, and partly from a decline in the numbers of students graduating from courses in nuclear science and engineering and becoming available for recruitment to fill the vacancies left by retirements.

Improving Nuclear Regulatory Effectiveness (2001)
Ensuring that nuclear installations are operated and maintained in such a way that their impact on public health and safety is as low as reasonably practicable has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of nuclear regulation. The organisations, structures and processes of regulatory authorities have evolved over the past 50 or so years. Major changes have been made following events such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. As in the past, events such as the recent criticality incident at Tokai-mura will provide impetus for further reviews and changes. However, factors other than events are beginning to have an impact on how regulatory authorities will need to function.

Nuclear Regulatory Challenges Arising from Competition in Electricity Markets (2001)
In recent years a world-wide trend has been developing to introduce competition in electricity markets (commonly referred to as economic deregulation). While not all countries or their various jurisdictions have fully introduced market competition, the trend is gathering momentum and virtually all nuclear operating companies are feeling competitive pressures to reduce operating costs and to increase electricity production.

Regulatory Response Strategies for Safety Culture Problems (2000)
This report places emphasis upon those situations where there are signs of actual safety performance problems, which may or may not be reflected in declining operational performance. Thus, the purpose of this report is to explore possible regulatory response strategies for dealing with declining safety performance when the outward manifestations of that performance suggest that there may be fundamental safety culture problems. This report also discusses the resumption of normal surveillance after enhanced regulatory attention and intervention.

The Role of the Nuclear Regulator in Promoting and Evaluating Safety Culture (1999)
It has become clear that safety culture involves everyone whose attitude may influence nuclear safety, not only the utility operators but also the regulatory body. The aim of this document is to focus on the dual role of the regulatory body in both (a) promoting safety culture, through its own example and through encouragement given to operators, and (b) evaluating the safety culture of licensees through performance- or process-based inspections and other methods.

Radioactive waste management

Stakeholder Involvement in Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities (2007)
International Lessons Learnt
Significant numbers of nuclear facilities will need to be decommissioned in the coming decades. In this context, NEA member countries are placing increasing emphasis on the involvement of stakeholders in the associated decision procedures. This study reviews decommissioning experience with a view to identifying stakeholder concerns and best practice in addressing them. The lessons learnt about the end of the facility life cycle can also contribute to better foresight in siting and building new facilities.

Fostering a Durable Relationship between a Waste Management Facility and its Host Community (2007)
Adding Value through Design and Process
Any long-term radioactive waste management project is likely to last decades to centuries.  It requires a physical site and will impact in a great variety of ways on the surrounding community over that whole period.  The societal durability of an agreed solution is essential to success.  This report identifies a number of design elements (including functional, cultural and physical features) that favour a durable relationship between the facility and its host community by improving prospects for quality of life across generations.

Selecting Strategies for the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities
A Status Report
This status report is based on the viewpoints and materials presented at a seminar held in Tarragona, Spain on 1-4 September 2003 as well as the experience of the NEA Working Party on Decommissioning and Dismantling (WPDD). It identifies, reviews and analyses factors influencing decommissioning strategies and addresses the challenges associated with balancing these factors in the process of strategy selection.

Releasing the Sites of Nuclear Installations: A Status Report (2006)
A Status Report
Releasing the site of a nuclear installation from radiological control is usually one of the last steps of decommissioning. To date, site release has been practised in a limited number of cases only as most decommissioning projects have not yet advanced to a state where the release of the site is imminent or because the site will continue to be used for nuclear activities. Therefore, for a number of decommissioning projects where planning for site release will soon start, this status report provides useful considerations based on NEA member country experience and expert advice.

The Regulatory Function and Radioactive Waste Management (2005)
International Overview
This overview presents an easily accessible synopsis of the regulatory control of radioactive waste management in 15 NEA member countries. It covers the management of radioactive waste from all types of nuclear installations, such as nuclear power plants, research reactors and nuclear fuel cycle facilities. It also addresses medical, research and industrial sources as well as defence-related sources where relevant.

International Peer Reviews for Radioactive Waste Management (2005)
General Information and Guidelines
International peer reviews of national radioactive waste management programmes, or of specific aspects of them, have been increasingly carried out over the past ten years. This document lays down the guidelines that the requesting country, the Secretariat and the international review team ought to have in mind when an international peer review is requested, organised or carried out.

Achieving the Goals of the Decommissioning Safety Case (2005)
A Status Report
This status report, drawn from the activities of the OECD/NEA Working Party on Decommissioning and Dismantling (WPDD), will be helpful to individuals and organisations involved in the preparation of a decommissioning safety case.

Stakeholder Involvement Techniques (2004)
A Short Guide and Annotated Bibliography
Stakeholder involvement, dialogue and deliberation can improve the quality and the sustainability of policy decisions. This publication offers a short guide to stakeholder involvement techniques and their selection. It includes an annotated bibliography pointing to easily accessible handbooks and other resources. While it approaches the topic from the point of view of radioactive waste management, it is intended for any person or organisation considering stakeholder involvement in decision making.

Learning and Adapting to Societal Requirements for Radioactive Waste Management (2004)
Key Findings and Experience of the Forum on Stakeholder Confidences
This report presents a synthesis of the key findings and experience of the NEA Forum on Stakeholder Confidence regarding the governance of long-term radioactive waste management. Most of the main findings are of relevance to all public policy-making processes, not only to radioactive waste management. In this sense, the report reads as a primer on the concrete governance challenges facing complex, collective decision making.

Stepwise Approach to Decision Making for Long-term Radioactive Waste Management (2004)
Experience, Issues and Guiding Principles
This review of stepwise decision making for long-term RWM pinpoints its current status, highlights its societal dimension and identifies implementation issues from both the point of view of social research and RWM practitioners. There is convergence between these two perspectives, and general guiding principles and action goals are proposed as a basis for further discussion and development of the stepwise decision-making concept.

Post-closure Safety Case for Geological Repositories (2004)
Nature and purpose
Disposal of long-lived radioactive waste in engineered facilities deep underground is being widely investigated worldwide in order to protect humans and the environment both now and in the future. This report defines and analyses the purpose and general contents of the post-closure safety cases for such facilities. The aim is to provide a point of reference for people involved in the development of safety cases and those with responsibility for, or interest in, decision making in radioactive waste management.

The Handling of Timescales in Assessing Post-closure Safety (2004)
Lessons Learnt from the April 2002 Workshop in Paris, France
A workshop entitled "The Handling of Timescales in Assessing Post-closure Safety" of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste was organised by the NEA in April 2002. This report presents the main lessons learnt from the workshop discussions and is intended to help promote the better understanding of issues related to the handling of timescales in a safety case.

The Regulator's Evolving Role and Image in Radioactive Waste Management (2003)
Lessons Learnt within the NEA Forum on Stakeholder Confidence
Of all the institutional actors in the field of long-term radioactive waste management (RWM), it is perhaps the regulatory authorities that have restyled their roles most significantly. Modern societal demands on risk governance and widespread adoption of stepwise deicison-making processes have influenced the image and role of regulators. Legal instruments both reflect and encourage a new set of behaviours and a new understanding on how regulators may best serve the public interest.

The Decommissioning and Dismantling of Nuclear Facilities (2002)
Status, Approaches, Challenges
This report, intended for a broad readership, provides a concise overview of the decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities and associated issues in NEA Member countries. It draws upon a database of fact sheets produced to a standard format by individual Member countries that is accessible online from the NEA website.

Reversibility and Retrievability in Geologic Disposal of Radioactive Waste (2001)
One of the key topics in the area of “Overall Waste Management Approaches” in radioactive waste management and geologic disposal programmes is the reversibility of decisions in waste disposal programmes and the potential for retrieval (retrievability) of disposed waste from a geologic repository.

The Role of Underground Laboratories in Nuclear Waste Disposal Programmes (2001)
This report explains what underground research laboratories (URLs) are, the different types, their locations, the types of research and development that are carried out, their value to national programmes, questions to be considered when deciding when to construct a URL, and the opportunities and benefits of international co-operation in URLs.

Confidence in the Long-term Safety of Geological Repositories: Its Development and Communication (1999)
This report is aimed at practitioners of safety assessment and at technical specialists wishing to become versed in the subject. In its current form, it is intended to improve communication among these specialists by clarifying the concepts related to the development of confidence, and by placing the various measures that are employed to evaluate, enhance and communicate confidence in the technical aspects of safety in a clear, logical framework. These measures are increasingly embodied in actual procedures applied in today’s safety assessments, and can be incorporated in a common framework, despite differences in approaches, practices and constraints both within and between repository projects.

Progress Towards Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste: Where Do We Stand? (1999)
Radioactive wastes of all kinds need to be managed responsibly to ensure public safety and protection of the environment, as well as security from malicious intervention, now and in the future. The most challenging task involves management of the long-lived waste that must be isolated from the human environment for many thousands of years. The preferred option for eventual disposal is emplacement in repositories deep underground in well-chosen geologic media.

Strategic Areas in Radioactive Waste Management (1999)
This report identifies some of the major challenges currently faced by national waste management programmes and describes the strategic areas in which the RWMC should focus its efforts in future years.

The Environmental and Ethical Basis of Geological Disposal of Long-lived Radioactive Wastes (1995)
The safe disposal of radioactive wastes, and specifically the need to protect humans and the environment in the far future, is given particular attention in all countries engaged in nuclear power generation. It is also a concern in many other countries making use of radioactive materials for medical, industrial or research purposes. As for many environmental protection situations linked to industrial development, including the management of hazardous chemical materials, the safe disposal of radioactive wastes requires consideration of a broad range of scientific and technical factors relating to potential impacts on the biosphere, as well as basic ethical principles that reflect the expectations of society.

Radiological protection

Optimisation in Operational Radiological Protection (2005)
A Report by the Working Group on Operational Radiological Protection of the Information System on Occupational Exposure
This report is a compilation of practical examples of good practice in optimisation. It is intended to assist nuclear power plants in providing the most appropriate protection for the public and workers, and to highlight for the ICRP concepts that should be reflected in its new recommendations.

The Future Policy for Radiological Protection (2004)
A Stakeholder Dialogue on the Implications of the ICRP Proposals - Summary Report, Lanzarote Spain, 2-4 April 2003
At the end of the 1990s, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) launched a process for establishing new recommendations, which are expected to serve as guidelines for national systems of radiological protection. Currently the ICRP's proposed recommendations are being subjected to extensive stakeholder comment and modifications. The NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has been actively involved in this process. Part of the Committee's work has been to undertake collaborative efforts with the ICRP through, for example, the organisation of broad stakeholder fora. The second forum, held in Lanzarote, Spain in April 2003, addressed the latest concepts and approaches in the ICRP proposed recommendations for a system of radiological protection. During this meeting, the ICRP listened to the views of various stakeholder groups, including radiological protection regulators, environmental protection ministries, the nuclear power industry and NGOs. As a result, the ICRP modified its proposals to better reflect stakeholder needs and wishes. This report presents the outcomes of the discussions, examining what the ICRP proposed and how its proposals have been affected and modified as a result of stakeholder input.

Effluent Release Options from Nuclear Installations (2003)
Technical Background and Regulatory Aspects
This report provides basic technical information on different options for managing and regulating radioactive effluent releases from nuclear installations during normal operation. It should contribute to national and international discussions in this area and be of particular interest to both nuclear regulatory authorities and nuclear power plant operators.

Possible Implications of Draft ICRP Recommendations (2003)
The NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has, since its inception, worked to develop and improve international norms in the area of radiological protection of the public, workers and the environment. International radiological protection norms continue to evolve, with significant new steps having been taken by the International Radiological Protection Commission (ICRP). Since the issuance of its 1990 recommendations, which form the basis of the international system of radiological protection, the ICRP has continued to add to them. The sum of these recommendations has become overly complicated and at times incoherent. In 1999 the ICRP therefore began to re-evaluate its recommendations with the aim of consolidation, simplification and clarification. New ICRP recommendations are due to be published in 2005.

A New Approach to Authorisation in the Field of Radiological Protection (2003)
The Road Test Report
The NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has been very active in developing its own suggestions as to how the system of radiological protection should evolve to better meet the needs of policy makers, regulators and practitioners. One of those suggestions is that a generic concept of "regulatory authorisation" of certain levels and types of exposure to radiation should replace the current and somewhat complicated concepts of exclusion, exemption and clearance. It has also been suggested that by characterising emerging sources and exposures in a screening process leading into the authorisation process, regulatory authorities could develop a better feeling for the type and scale of stakeholder involvement that would be necessary to reach a widely accepted approach to radiological protection.

Radiological Protection of the Environment (2003)
Summary Report of the Issues
The system of radiological protection is currently being revised in order to make it simpler, clearer and more responsive to stakeholder needs. During this evolution process, particular attention is being given to the development of an explicit system for the radiological protection of the environment. It was in this context that the NEA organised, in close collaboration with the International Commission on Radiological Protection, a forum on radiological protection of the environment.This report summarises the key issues discussed at the forum. They include sustainable development, identification of what to protect, the definition of detriment, the necessary level of regulation, an integrated approach to protection, the use of similar approaches for humans and the environment, practical foundations for a system of environmental protection, and consequences in terms of training.

The Way Forward in Radiological Protection (2002)
Virtually all national and international radiation protection regulations and standards are based on the recommendations published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). New recommendations, to replace those issued in 1990, are in the process of being developed for issuance in 2005, and it is in the interest of all NEA member countries to ensure that these recommendations meet the needs of national regulatory organisations and practitioners. Since revisions began at the ICRP in 1999, the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has been leading discussions regarding what, in the old recommendations, could be improved or changed to make any new recommendations more functional. Based on a preliminary two-year study to identify those areas that should be improved, this report suggests specific improvements that would render the new system easier to understand and apply, and that should be considered for inclusion in the new ICRP recommendations.

A Critical Review of the System of Radiation Protection (2000)
The NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has for several years devoted a significant portion of its programme of work to various issues concerning the foundations of the “System of Radiation Protection”, as laid out in ICRP Publication 60. This has included work in the areas of general guidance, radioactive materials in consumer products, intervention levels, potential exposure, dose constraints and biological effects. The CRPPH has focused its work in these areas on interpretation of the conceptual aspects of the system, and on guidance for the practical and operational implementation.

Developments in Radiation Health Science and their Impact on Radiation Protection (1998)
The current report includes a synthesis of the current scientific debate about the use of the linear, no-threshold (LNT) dose effect hypothesis as a practical model for the regulation of radiation protection. It identifies key elements of science on which there is common agreement, areas of uncertainty or debate, and the potential practical implications of various possible developments in scientific knowledge.

Radiation Protection Today and Tomorrow (1994)
This document is the expression of the collective opinion by the CRPPH about the status of radiation protection today and developments which might affect its status in the foreseeable future. It is an outgrowth of the 1993 NEA workshop "Radiation Protection on the Threshold of the 21st Century" and draws upon the papers presented there. The assessment does not dwell on accomplishments, which are considerable. Rather, it focuses on issues and speculates about the future, because a primary purpose is to provide guidance to the CRPPH on a programme for the future whose goal is to enhance radiation protection.

Related links

NEA issue briefs

The position statements of the American Nuclear Society can be consulted on its website.

Last reviewed: 18 January 2010