The NEA assists its member countries in their efforts to ensure effective public communication and stakeholder engagement regarding decision-making in nuclear operations, decommissioning, waste management, radiological protection and other related issues. The work of the Agency in this area is co-ordinated through bodies such as the Committee on Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations and Legacy Management (CDLM), the Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC) and the Working Group on Public Communication (WGPC).
The FSC recently established a new group, Stakeholder Involvement in Decommissioning and Legacy Management (SIDLM), in response to member country needs regarding the methods and best practices to engage with stakeholders particularly in decommissioning processes and legacy management. The group held its first meeting on 15 September 2021 to define its key areas of work and potential deliverables.
By facilitating direct support for CDLM while engaging the existing expertise in FSC, this new group will examine interactions with local populations during decommissioning plan development, explore existing research to develop practical approaches and catalogue the current best practices in knowledge-based and competent communication with stakeholders. In doing so, the group addresses the limitations of the current FSC membership in its ability to concentrate on the nuances and complexities of stakeholder involvement in decommissioning and legacy management.
During the group’s first meeting, delegates exchanged information on the current decommissioning and legacy management projects in their national context and discussed the main challenges encountered in involving stakeholders. The participants also identified potential areas of collaboration with other NEA bodies, notably the recently created Working Party on Management and Organisational Aspects (WPMO).
