NEA Mandates and Structures


Working Group on Inspection Practices (WGIP)

Chair(s): Julio CRESPO BRAVO, Spain
Secretary:  Christopher FONG
(christopher.fong@oecd-nea.org)
Vice-Chair(s): Alexandre LEBLANC, Canada
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
Participant(s): India
Observer(s)(International Organisation): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
By agreement
Date of creation:12 November 1990
End of mandate:31 December 2020

Mandate (Document reference):

  • Summary Record of the 2nd annual meeting of the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities [NEA/SEN/NRA(90)7]
  • Summary Record of the 3rd meeting of the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities [NEA/SEN/NRA(92)1]
  • Summary Record of the CNRA Special Issues Meeting on the Regulatory Aspects of Ageing Reactors [NEA/SEN/NRA(98)3]
  • CNRA Operating Guidelines, June 2006 [NEA/CNRA/R(2006)3]
  • Summary Record of the 17th Annual Meeting of the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) [NEA/SEN/NRA(2006)1]
  • Summary Record of the 23rd CNRA meeting [NEA/SEN/NRA(2010)2]
  • CNRA Operating Plan and Guidelines (2011-2016) [NEA/CNRA/R(2011)2]
  • Summary Record of the 35th meeting of the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities [NEA/SEN/NRA(2016)2]
  • Summary record of the 38th Meeting of the CNRA, held on 4-5 December 2017 [NEA/SEN/NRA(2017)/5]
  • 2017-2022 CNRA Operating Plan and Guidelines [NEA/CNRA/R(2017)5]
  • Participant Status of India in the CNRA and its subsidiary bodies: 2018 Update of the NEA Participation Plan [NEA/NE(2018)8] and official letter received from India on 15 October 2018 confirming its acceptance of Participant Status in the CNRA and its subsidiary bodies

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document NEA/CNRA/R(2017)5

Introduction

Regulation and monitoring of operating civilian nuclear facilities and activities is a fundamental duty of any nuclear regulatory body. Although a regulatory body has many methods available for the regulation and monitoring of operating civilian nuclear facilities and activities, inspection[1] remains the key mean of verification available. The conduct of inspections provides an essential and valuable source of information for a regulatory body’s integrated assessment and comprehensive safety oversight process. Inspection gives a regulatory body the ability to verify that licensees, during all the phases of the performance of their activities, operate the facility safely, that their activities fully comply with all applicable regulations and that safety is given the highest priority. Inspection also provides a basis for regulatory enforcement.

Mandate

In this context, the mandate of the Working Group on Inspection Practices (WGIP) is to share experience and knowledge, both on technical and human aspects, from inspection practices and programmes for operating civilian nuclear facilities and activities.

In the field of nuclear safety, considering as appropriate and when relevant any interface with security, the WGIP aims to compare inspection practices and programmes as well as the organisation of regulatory bodies between its members in order to identify and promote commendable practices.

The WGIP will analyse and provide expert insights from inspection practices. It will discuss current and future issues. It will identify practical methods to help regulatory bodies advance the effectiveness and efficiency of their inspection practices and programmes, for all types of inspections, including vendors and construction inspections, with a purpose to improve the level of safety of operating civilian nuclear facilities and activities.

Objectives

To further this mandate, the WGIP will identify and share:

  • information and experience related to inspections practices (e.g. planning, conducting, enforcement) and programmes, as well as to the organisation of regulatory bodies;
  • methods to evaluate and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of inspections;
  • methods to assess and/or rate the safety significance of inspection findings and results;
  • methods to help regulatory bodies reinforce a risk-informed approach and the implementation of a graded approach in their inspection programmes.

Working methods

In terms of working methods, the WGIP will:

  • Constitute a forum of regulatory body representatives to share information and experience on inspection practices and programmes as well as the organisation of regulatory bodies in order to highlight and document commendable practices.
  • Observe amongst its members the planning and conduct of inspections at civilian nuclear facilities, including, if, relevant, enforcement.
  • Organise, on a regular basis, meetings, workshops and conferences.
  • Report to and assist the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA), typically by providing reports and presentations on commendable practices, all the while considering what inspection practices are appropriate to address future regulatory challenges identified by the CNRA, paying special attention to individual and collective attitudes and behaviour, management, organisation and procedures.
  • Closely co-ordinate with and provide input to other relevant NEA bodies, in particular the Working Group on Operating Experience (WGOE).
  • Closely interact and coordinate activities with the Vendor Inspection Cooperation Working Group (VICWG) of the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP) to avoid potential duplication, in particular when observing inspections of vendors and construction.
  • Co-ordinate its work with other international organisations (e.g. IAEA and the European Commission).

 


1. Inspection means any examination, observation, measurement or test to assess structures, systems, components, materials, operational activities, processes, procedures, and personnel and organisational competence.