NEA Mandates and Structures


Expert Group on Back-end Strategies (BEST)

Chair(s): Bill MCCAUGHEY, United States
Secretary:  Won Il KO
(wonil.ko@oecd-nea.org)
Vice-Chair(s): Cécile EVANS, France
Member(s):All NEA member countries*
Russia (Suspended*)
*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council.
Full participant(s): European Commission
Under the NEA Statute
Observer(s)(International Organisation): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
By agreement
Date of creation:09 March 2017
End of mandate:31 December 2019

Mandate (Document reference):

  • NDC - Final Programme of Work for 2017-2018 [NEA/NDC(2017)1]
  • Minutes of 67th NDC meeting [NEA/NDC/M(2016)2/FINAL]
  • Mandate - Expert Group on Back-end Strategies (BEST) [NEA/NDC(2017)2]
  • Summary Record of the Third Meeting of the Ad hoc Expert Group on Back-end Strategies (BEST) held on 19-20 June 2018 [NEA/NDC(2018)11]
  • Summary Record of the 70th NDC Meeting held on 10-11 October 2018 [NEA/NDC/M(2018)2] [forthcoming]
  • Mandate Extension for the Expert Group on Back-end Strategies (BEST) [NEA/NDC(2017)2/REV]

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract of document NEA/NDC(2017)2/REV

MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

This expert group (EG) will catalogue the various nuclear fuel cycle options being investigated or pursued by member countries, with a particular interest in clearly capturing the aspects that differentiate them, that countries consider most important, or that make the options attractive or unattractive for application in a certain country. The EG will make use of existing studies, such as the U.S. Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Screening – Final Report and NEA committees’ and members’ work on fuel cycle scenarios and multi-criteria analysis, and incorporate qualitative and quantitative aspects that are important to various countries’ policies and decisions.

This expert group will produce a report that provides the latest status of countries’ research, development and/or deployment of advanced fuel cycles, serving as an update to past “Trends in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle” reports. While of interest to countries currently pursuing nuclear power programmes, it will also provide important points of consideration to countries that are planning to develop nuclear programmes and related fuel cycle facilities as well as those considering or facing planned phase out and decommissioning.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND MODE OF OPERATION AND CO-OPERATION

Members of the expert group will be nominated by the members of the Committee for Technical and Economic Studies on Nuclear Energy Development and Fuel Cycle (NDC), and will perform their work in close collaboration with other NEA divisions with fuel cycle activities, mostly closely with the Division of Nuclear Science (in particular the Working Party on Scientific Issues of the Fuel Cycle). This study may be partly funded through voluntary contributions.

Nominated experts will meet on a regular basis (approximately twice a year) to:

  • Discuss and define the detailed programme of work.
  • Present countries contributions.
  • Carry out the study.

DELIVERABLE

This expert group shall produce a report highlighting the main criteria influencing the choice of different nuclear fuel cycle options.