The NEA Expert Group on Building Constructive Dialogues between Regulators and Implementers in Developing Disposal Solutions for Radioactive Waste (RIDD) held their fifth annual plenary meeting to discuss current and upcoming activities for improving dialogue between regulators and implementers in the pre-licensing and licensing phases of developing deep geological repositories (DGRs) on 8-10 December 2025. NEA members from seven different countries provided updates on the latest developments in their respective national programmes with a specific focus on current status of regulator-implementer dialogue.
RIDD serves as a neutral forum for regulators and implementers to openly discuss challenges presented by the pre-licensing and licensing phases of DGR development and construction.
RIDD published their first NEA publication focused on building constructive dialogues between regulators and implementers specific to the pre-licensing phase of DGR development in 2024.This report highlighted roles and responsibilities of the regulator and implementer in the dialogue, goals and expectations regarding dialogue itself, implementation of dialogue and various forms (formal vs. informal), conditions to enable effective dialogue, and outward facing dialogue with the public.
During RIDD-5, the Expert Group met to finalise their forthcoming second publication entitled Roadmap for Regulator-Implementer Dialogue during the Pre-Licensing Phase of a DGR Programme: Providing a Generic Framework for Programme-Specific Adaptation, which will enable national programmes to use this roadmap as a resource in preparing and implementing their regulator-implementer dialogue towards DGR programme development.
Other key topics addressed during the meeting, included:
- Public engagement and capacity building of stakeholders during pre-licensing and licensing;
- Proposed technical and governance objectives, and success criteria for the industrial pilot phase;
- Regulator – implementer dialogue for siting;
- Change management and associated regulator – implementer dialogue; and
- Uncertainties in decision making from a regulator – implementer lens.
RIDD will continue to work closely with the NEA Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC), and the Integration Group for the Safety Case (IGSC) on current and future activities.
RIDD actively accepts members to the Expert Group (both regulators and implementers) in both the pre-licensing and licensing phases of DGR programmes. If you are interested in becoming a member of the expert group, please contact the NEA Secretariat (morgan.packer@oecd-nea.org).
