Participants in the eighth joint session of the CDLM and the RWMC
The NEA convened its annual “Back-End Week” from 16 to 20 March 2026, bringing together over 120 participants from 25 countries. The event also welcomed representatives from the European Commission, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
Throughout the week, the Regulators’ Forum (RF), the NEA Committee on Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations and Legacy Management (CDLM), the NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) held plenary meetings, alongside a joint CDLM–RWMC session. These meetings provided a platform for NEA member countries to review recent developments in radioactive waste management and decommissioning, align on forward-looking priorities as well as reinforce co-operation across NEA working bodies and with other international organisations.
The Back-End Week featured a series of topical sessions designed to foster collective insights on current challenges in the sector, including integration of stakeholder input into regulatory decision making, dialogue between government-regulator-operator for nuclear decommissioning, management of spent fuel and high level waste in small inventory countries or newcomers to nuclear, as well as use of artificial intelligence (AI) for improved management of information, data and knowledge in the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Outcomes from these sessions will be captured in dedicated brochures to support wider dissemination.
The RF topical session on integrating stakeholder input into regulatory decision-making emphasised that effective engagement hinges on timely, well-structured and transparent processes. Participants highlighted the importance of strengthening trust, enhancing stakeholders’ ability to engage with complex technical topics, and ensuring that their contributions are systematically reflected in regulatory outcomes.
The CDLM topical session examined government–regulator–operator interactions in the context of nuclear decommissioning, drawing on experience from the United Kingdom. Through breakout discussions and plenary exchanges, participants explored institutional roles, governance frameworks and collaborative practices, as well as the challenges of translating policy into implementation.
The RWMC session focused on the management of spent fuel (SF) and high-level waste (HLW) in small or emerging nuclear programmes. Discussions overviewed a range of technical, regulatory and economic dimensions towards optimised management of SF and HLW in smaller inventory countries, with a particular focus on opportunities for international collaboration. Key takeaways from this session included the need to draw on established experience, advance dialogue on long-term management strategies, and promote greater alignment of regulatory approaches. The importance of political commitment and societal support was underscored as a prerequisite for shared solutions, alongside a proposal to establish a new NEA expert group in this area.
As part of the joint CDLM–RWMC session, a dedicated discussion addressed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for information, data and knowledge management (IDKM) in radioactive waste management and decommissioning. The session provided a basis for clarifying key AI concepts applicable to radioactive waste management and decommissioning (both agentic and generative AI), identifying relevant use cases beyond the typical GenAI uses, and examining enabling conditions. Insights from member surveys and case studies informed discussions on practical applications, while participants also identified key barriers and priority areas for future work under the IDKM programme.
Overall, the 2026 Back-End Week reinforced its role as an important platform for co-ordination, knowledge exchange and strategic reflection across the international radioactive waste management and decommissioning community. A resounding takeaway from the week outlined the continued need to integrate back-end considerations from the earliest stages of system planning and development in order to more effectively support a holistic and sustainable approach across the lifecycle of nuclear programmes.
Participants in the twenty-ninth plenary meeting of the Regulators’ Forum
