The first Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) programme on decommissioning began in 1978. Then in 1985, with an increasing number of decommissioning projects, many organisations responsible for decommissioning nuclear facilities had come together to form a joint decommissioning programme – the NEA Co-operative Programme for the Exchange of Scientific and Technical Information Concerning Nuclear Installation Decommissioning Projects (CPD). Then in 2001, in order to address other emerging issues such as developing decommissioning policies, strategies and regulations, the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) created the Working Party on Decommissioning and Dismantling (WPDD).
There are many major legacy sites and installations of different kinds across NEA member countries. Little guidance has been prepared at the international level; therefore, to address the need for more practical guidance on the regulation of radiological protection at legacy sites, the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) created the Expert Group on Legacy Management (EGLM) in April 2016.
In 2015, NEA member countries requested the NEA to enhance its visibility in nuclear decommissioning. Following the guidance of the RWMC, the NEA began the planning of the CDLM in 2016. The RWMC submitted a recommendation paper to the NEA Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy in April 2017. A decision paper was presented to the Steering Committee in October 2017. Finally, the CDLM was established in the biannual meeting of the Steering Committee in April 2018.
The work of the CDLM and the RWMC will be supported by the Division of Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning at the NEA.
The CDLM Advisory Group was gathered to provide advisory support for the CDLM at the Joint Bureau Meeting on 19 January 2018. The chair is Jean-Paul Minon. It consists of nine representatives of RWMC, Regulators' Forum (RF), CRPPH, Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC), EGLM and WPDD. The advisory group meeting prepared for the CDLM kick-off meeting and discussed organisational issues.
The CDLM kick-off meeting will be held on 16-17 October 2018 to make decisions on administrative issues, including the mandate and programme of work. The revised mandate will be sent to the Steering Committee for their approval in spring 2019. The topics for the kick-off meeting include:
The first committee meeting of the CDLM will be held in the back-end week with the RWMC and the RF to promote their co-operation.
