Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, First Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties 3 to 14 November 2003, Vienna, Austria, Summary Report

1. The operation of nuclear reactors whether for the purposes of electricity production or research, generates spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Other activities also generate radioactive waste. The recognition by the international community of the importance of ensuring the safety of the management of spent fuel and the safety of the management of radioactive waste, led to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Convention). The Joint Convention was adopted on 5 September 1997 and entered into force on 18 June 2001. 2. The first Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 30 of the Convention was held at the Headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), being the Secretariat for the Convention, from 3 to 14 November 2003. The President of the Review Meeting was Mr. Laurence Williams, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations in the United Kingdom. 3. Thirty two Contracting Parties and one Contracting State participated in the Review Meeting, namely: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States of America. 4. Japan was a late ratifier. However, it had produced and distributed its National Report and asked questions on the reports of other Contracting Parties. As Japan had only just missed the deadline for the Review Meeting it had asked to participate fully in the Review Meeting. Under the rules, a late ratifier can be allowed to participate with the agreement of the Contracting Parties at the Review Meeting. The Contracting Parties agreed to Japan’s request at the plenary meeting on 3 November. 5. The objectives of the Convention are: i) to achieve and maintain a high level of safety worldwide in spent fuel and radioactive waste management, through the enhancement of national measures and international cooperation, including where appropriate, safety-related cooperation; ii) to ensure that during all stages of spent fuel and radioactive waste management there are effective defences against potential hazards so that individuals, society, and the environment are protected from the harmful effects of ionising radiation now and in the future, in such a way that the needs and aspirations of the present generation are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs and aspirations; and iii) to prevent accidents with radiological consequences and to mitigate their consequences should they occur during any stage of spent fuel or radioactive waste management. 6. To deliver these objectives the Convention adopted a ‘Review’ process. Article 30 of the Convention requires that Contracting Parties should hold meetings for the purpose of reviewing the reports submitted as required by Article 32. The Review Meeting is the opportunity for the Contracting Parties to discuss the National Reports submitted by other Contacting Parties and to seek clarification of such reports. 7. Article 32 requires Contracting Parties to submit a National Report to each review meeting of the Contracting Parties. The Article requires the National Report to address the measures taken to implement each of the obligations to the Convention. Article 32 also specifies the topics that Contracting Parties are expected to address in the National Reports submitted pursuant to the Convention. The document entitled “Guidelines Regarding the Form and Structure of National Reports” (INFCIRC 604) gives further guidance. 8. The Contracting Parties’ National Reports were distributed in advance of the meeting to enable other Contracting Parties to review them and seek clarification through written questions and answers. This first review meeting gave the opportunity for Contracting Parties to present their National Reports including their response to the written questions and respond to the questions put to them by other Contracting Parties in the discussions at the Meeting. It was also an opportunity to review the measures being taken by Contracting Parties to implement the obligations of the Convention. 9. Among the Contracting Parties, there was a wide spectrum of size and scope of nuclear programme. There were Contracting Parties with major nuclear power programmes, states with large amounts of legacy wastes, some with large quantities of uranium mine tailings, and others with only hospital waste and disused sealed sources. The National Reports therefore varied widely in size, scope and complexity. Most Contracting Parties followed the format detailed in INFCIRC 604 for their National Reports, but a few did not. 10. This summary report of the Review Meeting is structured so that paragraphs 11-67 reflect the discussions that took place with respect to either specific articles or groups of articles of the Convention.