The NEA Working Group on Analysis and Management of Accidents (WGAMA), which is under the NEA Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI), held its 29th annual meeting from 7 to 9 September 2026 at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris, France, with more than 61 participants from 21 countries, as well as with representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Commission (EC). The meeting brought together international experts from regulatory bodies, technical support organisations, research institutes, industry and international organisations to review ongoing activities, approve new work and discuss future priorities for accident analysis and management.
WGAMA continues to serve as an international forum dedicated to advancing the technical basis for nuclear reactor safety assessments.
During the meeting, members reviewed progress across a broad portfolio of activities in thermal hydraulics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), severe accident analysis, code validation and uncertainty quantification. They also discussed importance of bridging thermal hydraulics (TH) and severe accidents (SA). The group examined emerging safety challenges associated with advanced reactors, small modular reactors (SMRs), passive systems and innovative analytical approaches.
Participants approved several technical reports and new activity proposals aimed at advancing the state of knowledge in nuclear reactor safety. Members also reviewed progress in ongoing international collaborative research programmes and discussed future opportunities for co-operation. Particular attention was given to strengthening experimental capabilities, preserving knowledge and expertise, enhancing modelling and simulation tools, and addressing safety challenges associated with current and future reactor technologies.
A major highlight of the meeting was a thematic discussion dedicated to WGAMA’s future direction and strategic priorities. Building on reflections gathered during the group’s 25th anniversary, members exchanged on the impact of outputs, barriers to implementation for technical recommendations and future areas where international collaboration can provide the greatest value. Key themes included preserving scientific rigour while embracing innovation, expanding activities to address advanced reactor technologies and SMRs, strengthening international partnerships and ensuring effective knowledge transfer to the next generation of nuclear safety experts.
Participants emphasised the importance of maintaining strong experimental programmes, advancing code validation methodologies and uncertainty quantification practices, and fostering multidisciplinary approaches that combine thermal-hydraulics, severe accidents, CFD, fuel behaviour and emerging digital tools. The discussion also highlighted the need to preserve expertise, experimental capabilities and high-quality datasets that underpin credible safety assessments.
As nuclear technologies continue to evolve, the group remains committed to providing a technical platform for developing methodologies, sharing data and expertise, and addressing the technical challenges that will shape the future of nuclear safety research.
