In support of the NEA’s efforts to strengthen its work in the nuclear safety area, the Nuclear Law Committee (NLC) determined to more systematically address this issue through the creation of a specific group, the Working Party on the Legal Aspects of Nuclear Safety (WPLANS). Established in 2016, the WPLANS has three main objectives:

• exchange information on the respective legal and administrative systems for the licensing and regulation of nuclear facilities and installations and other uses of nuclear material;
• promote the development, strengthening and harmonisation of member countries’ legal frameworks for the licensing and regulation of the safe and peaceful use of nuclear energy;
• enable the Agency to serve as a centre of information for the legal aspects of nuclear safety.

The WPLANS has addressed a number of topics since its creation in 2016, including:

• legal frameworks for long-term operation (LTO);
• frameworks for legal challenges related to nuclear safety;
• legal frameworks for the licensing and regulation of small modular reactors; and
• enforcement of nuclear safety related laws and regulations.

Its first primary focus was the legal frameworks for LTO, which culminated in the publication of a report, Legal Frameworks for Long-Term Operation of Nuclear Power Reactors (LTO Report), in November 2019. The aim of this report was to provide insights into the various laws, regulations and policies that contribute to different countries’ approaches to LTO. The update to this report, Legal Frameworks for Long-Term Operation of Nuclear Power Reactors, Second Edition, was published in October 2025. By collecting information from 29 NEA member and non-member countries, this updated report expands the number of countries represented and highlights both commonalities among approaches as well as possible reasons for variations. Ultimately, the information gathered can serve as a vital resource for future exchanges respecting the legal aspects of LTO, with a view to further development and strengthening of the collective understanding of these issues.

After the publication of the initial LTO Report, the WPLANS began to focus on the frameworks for legal challenges related to nuclear safety, which culminated in the publication Legal Challenges Related to Nuclear Safety in March 2024. The aim of this report was to provide insights into the frameworks for legal challenges related to nuclear safety and, without making any general recommendations, identify commonalities and differences that contribute to different countries’ approaches. By collecting information from nearly 25 NEA member and non-member countries, this report provides an overall review of the different approaches taken by countries to legal challenges related to nuclear safety.

The WPLANS is currently focusing its work on the legal frameworks for the licensing and regulation of small modular reactors and other innovative nuclear technologies, while continuing to address the other relevant topics.

Members' Area

• WPLANS members' area  (password protected | reminder)