The NEA Working Party on the Legal Aspects of Nuclear Safety (WPLANS) held its 12th meeting on 8 June 2026 with 33 participants from 17 NEA member countries, 2 non-member countries, as well as the European Union and Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Discussions covered a broad range of developments in the legal frameworks for nuclear safety. Participants exchanged updates on international activities, including those of the IAEA and European Union, and on national developments. The meeting also included presentations from Canada, the Netherlands and the United States on legislative reforms, licensing frameworks and regulatory challenges. Brazil presented a non-member country report on the creation of its new National Nuclear Safety Authority, the ANSN, while additional updates were provided by Czechia, Japan, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Spain.
A key focus of the meeting was on legal frameworks for small modular reactors (SMRs), including follow-up to the NEA’s December 2025 Bridging Law and Technology: International Workshop for the Deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Delegates from Brazil, Czechia, France, Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates also shared national experiences and ongoing developments in SMR deployment.
The Working Party took stock of its current programme of work (2025-2026), which centres on licensing and regulatory frameworks for SMRs and other innovative nuclear technologies. Initial discussions were held on priorities for the 2027-2028 programme of work, including possible areas for further analytical work related to licensing approaches. Further consultations will be undertaken in the coming months.
WPLANS also highlighted progress on its analytical outputs, including the publication in October 2025 of the second edition of Legal Frameworks for Long-Term Operation of Nuclear Power Reactors, which provides an updated comparative overview of national approaches.
The meeting also marked an opportunity to express appreciation to the current WPLANS Chair Lisa Thiele, who will retire from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) this year. Ms Thiele has played a central role in shaping the work and direction of WPLANS since its establishment, serving on the Bureau since its inception and as Chair since 2019. A new Chair will be selected before the end of the year.
