REGULATORY CHALLENGES RELATED TO THE LICENSING OF A NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Assuring the safety and security of nuclear power plants is recognized world-wide as a challenge for all stakeholders. Particular attention goes to plants planned to be built in countries with not sufficiently developed industrial and regulatory infrastructure and experience. A construction and commissioning project, which is usually an international undertaking, gives opportunities to all national stakeholders to develop further their organisations and competences. In the present paper the duties of a regulatory body are recalled as yell as the human resources and competences needed for the licensing of a new nuclear power plant. The regulatory body and its technical safety organization(s) should be strengthened and the international cooperation should contribute to this in a systematic and coordinated way. In particular, the donor country should support the necessary development of the regulatory competences and of an effective safety assessment process supporting the national licensing process. Appropriate support can be provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and through other bi-lateral or multi-lateral programmes.