Suppliers have a critical safety role in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants. With a declining number of nuclear grade suppliers and a loss of skills in some regions, supply chain oversight raises specific challenges, for example, counterfait, fraudulent and suspect items (CFSI), that require regulators to adopt new practices and increase co-operation. 

The Working Group on Supply Chain (WGSUP) is responsible for supporting and advising the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) in carrying out its programme of work in areas related to nuclear supply chains.

The WGSUP provides a mechanism for nuclear safety regulators and technical support organisations (TSOs) to share their knowledge in making policy and licensing decisions, as well as oversight practices related to the supply chain. WGSUP focuses on supply chain-related issues of operating nuclear power reactors and those progressing towards nuclear license application or under construction in NEA member and partner countries. The WGSUP aims to facilitate an active and timely exchange of commendable practices, information on specific challenges and emerging risks like CFSI, as well as lessons learnt to help regulators perform these functions more effectively and efficiently.

The WGSUP collects and analyses information to: 

• leverage national regulatory resources and share vendor inspection information and experience to support and enable regulators to verify the quality of the supply chain and its products and services;
• share vendor inspection practices among regulators;
• facilitate the adoption of good vendor oversight practices by national regulators;
• bring areas of emerging risk to the attention of regulators, licensees, and vendors;
• share knowledge on effective supply chain performance;
• bring the positive nuclear safety culture expected within the supply chain to the attention of licensees and vendors;
• maximise the use of the results obtained from other regulators; and
• continue to learn from the similarities and differences between national regulators’ quality management system requirements and utilise the information to improve regulatory requirements.

The WGSUP closely co-ordinates and exchanges input with other NEA bodies, especially other CNRA working groups. WGSUP also works closely with the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) to investigate specific technical or organisational issues that are identified during its analysis. The WGSUP co-ordinates as appropriate with other international organisations (e.g. IAEA, the European Commission) and international non-governmental organisations (e.g. WANO), and aims to leverage the collective knowledge of its members to guide the activity of key stakeholders (e.g. IAEA, WNA). The WGSUP considers to engage with a number of organisations (e.g. COG, CRIEPI, EPRI and WANO) based on the existing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between these organisations and the NEA. In accordance with the MoUs, these organisations may be invited to participate in the activities of the WGSUP as appropriate.

The WGSUP produces guidance documents for nuclear safety regulators and other stakeholders interested in commercial nuclear power. Examples include, but are not limited to, proceedings of seminars and workshops, collections of commendable practices implemented by regulatory bodies, case studies, and summaries of operating experience.