NEA Mandates and Structures


COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR REGULATORY ACTIVITIES (CNRA)

Chair(s): Tomoya ICHIMURA, Japan
Secretaries:  Nobuhiro MUROYA
(nobuhiro.muroya@oecd-nea.org)
John NAKOSKI
(john.nakoski@oecd-nea.org)
Veronique ROUYER
(veronique.rouyer@oecd-nea.org)
Vice-Chair(s): Julien COLLET, France
Andrea VEIL, United States
Member(s):All NEA member countries*
Russia (Suspended*)
*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council.
Full participant(s): European Commission
Under the NEA Statute
Participant(s): India
Observer(s)(International Organisation): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
By agreement
Date of creation:31 October 1989
End of mandate:31 December 2028

Mandate (Document reference):

  • Mandate, membership and organisation of the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities [NE(89)12]
  • Summary Record of the 9th Meeting of the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities [NEA/SEN/NRA(98)1]
  • Review of the NEA Committee Structure [NEA/NE(2000)11/REV1]
  • Review of Mandates of the NEA Standing Technical Committees [NEA/NE(2005)2]
  • Summary of Decisions Taken at the 117th Session of the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy [NEA/SUM/DEC(2008)2]
  • Review of the NEA Standing Technical Committee Mandates [NEA/NE(2010)7]
  • Summary of Decisions Taken at the 121st Session of the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy [NEA/SUM/DEC(2010)2]
  • Review of the Mandates of NEA Bodies Reporting Directly to the Steering Committee [NEA/NE(2016)5]
  • Summary of Decisions Taken at the 133rd Session of the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy [NEA/SUM/DEC(2016)2] 
  • Participant Status of India in the CNRA and its subsidiary bodies: 2018 Update of the NEA Participation Plan [NEA/NE(2018)8] and official letter received from India on 15 October 2018 confirming its acceptance of Participant Status in the CNRA and its subsidiary bodies
  • Mandate approved under the written procedure by the CNRA members [NEA/SEN/NRA(2022)2/FINAL]
  • Review of Mandates of the NEA Standing Technical Committees and the Management Board for the Development, Application and Validation of Nuclear Data and Codes (MBDAV) [NEA/NE(2022)20]
  • Summary of Decisions Taken at the 144th Session of the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy (Item 10) [NEA/SUM/DEC(2022)2]

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document NEA/NE(2022)20

Mandate:

The CNRA will be responsible for Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) activities concerning all regulatory activities that support nuclear safety, with an emphasis on current and future nuclear reactors. Recognizing the current environment surrounding nuclear safety, the CNRA will focus on aspects such as policy, licensing, supply chain, new technologies, oversight (e.g., inspection, operating experience), as well as cross-cutting activities such as leadership, safety culture, and public communication. These activities will encompass a wide range of associated topics, including the implication ageing has on the continued safe operation of reactors and the challenges of building the required levels of organisational capability needed to design, build and operate reactors safely.    

The CNRA will constitute a forum for the timely and effective exchange of safety-relevant information among regulators to promote and influence excellence in regulatory activities. To this end, the CNRA will review developments and challenges that could affect regulatory requirements to provide members with an understanding of the motivation for regulatory practices, and offer suggestions that might improve them and foster a common understanding among member countries.

In accordance with the NEA Strategic Plan for 2023-2028, the CNRA will:

  • facilitate an effective exchange of information relevant to safety among member countries in order to identify generic issues and trends and to develop a common understanding and approaches to assist in the resolution of such generic issues;
  • assist member countries in the resolution of safety issues and strengthen confidence in the solutions and their implementation;
  • help maintain an adequate level of regulatory capability and competence in member countries to provide regulatory oversight of the safety of existing and future nuclear reactors;
  • promote regulatory independence, openness, transparency, and excellence;
  • support enhanced efficiency, clarity, and reliability of regulations in member countries, including absorbing lessons from disruptive events such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and
  • promote the use of innovative and transformative practices and support the evolution and harmonisation of regulatory processes to increase regulatory agility and efficiency.

To meet the aforementioned objectives, the CNRA will use its collective knowledge to provide views that are underpinned by strong evidence and experience.  The CNRA will use case studies and examples, particularly those using novel approaches, to illustrate good practices. The CNRA will also be open to innovation, with a willingness to challenge traditional methods if it feels there are potential benefits in adopting an alternative approach. 

Furthermore, the CNRA will examine any other matters referred to it by the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy. The CNRA will work collaboratively and transparently with other international organisations and will consider, upon request, issues raised by these organisations. The CNRA will organise its own activities with appropriate support from wider regulatory expertise. It may organise specialist meetings, and create working groups and subsidiary bodies (e.g., task groups, expert groups, information exchange forums) to further its objectives.

In implementing its programme of work, the CNRA will cooperate with other NEA committees such as the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI), the Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) and the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) on matters of common interest, avoiding unnecessary duplications. When it is mutually-beneficial, the CNRA will partner with non-member countries as well as international bodies such as the Generation IV International Forum or the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme.