Convention on nuclear safety - Declaration by the European Atomic Energy Community according to the provisions of Article 30(4)(iii) of the Nuclear Safety Convention
Date: 1994-09-20
Institutions: Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Monaco, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay
Subjects: EAEC, accession to an agreement, international convention, nuclear energy, nuclear safety

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CONVENTION ON NUCLEAR SAFETY

PREAMBLE

THE CONTRACTING PARTIES,

(i) aware of the importance to the international community of ensuring that the use of nuclear energy is safe, well

regulated and environmentally sound;

(ii) reaffirming the necessity of continuing to promote a high level of nuclear safety worldwide;

(iii) reaffirming that responsibility for nuclear safety rests with the state having jurisdiction over a nuclear installation;

(iv) desiring to promote an effective nuclear safety culture;

(v) aware that accidents at nuclear installations have the potential for transboundary impacts;

(vi) keeping in mind the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (1979), the Convention on Early
Notification of a Nuclear Accident (1986), and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or
Radiological Emergency (1986);

(vii) affirming the importance of international cooperation for the enhancement of nuclear safety through existing

bilateral and multilateral mechanisms and the establishment of this incentive Convention;

(viii) recognising that this Convention entails a commitment to the application of fundamental safety principles for
nuclear installations rather than of detailed safety standards and that there are internationally formulated safety
guidelines which are updated from time to time and so can provide guidance on contemporary means of achieving
a high level of safety;

(ix) affirming the need to begin promptly the development of an international convention on the safety of radioactive
waste management as soon as the ongoing process to develop waste management safety fundamentals has resulted
in broad international agreement;

(x) recognising the usefulness of further technical work in connection with the safety of other parts of the nuclear fuel
cycle, and that this work may, in time, facilitate the development of current or future international instruments;

HAVE AGREED as follows:

CHAPTER 1

OBJECTIVES, DEFINITIONS AND SCOPE OF APPLICATION

Article 1

Objectives

The objectives of this Convention are:

(i) to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide through the enhancement of national measures and

international cooperation including, where appropriate, safety-related technical cooperation;

(ii) to establish and maintain effective defences in nuclear installations against potential radiological hazards in order to
protect individuals, society and the environment from harmful effects of ionising radiation from such installations;

(iii) to prevent accidents with radiological consequences and to mitigate such consequences should they occur.

Article 2

Definitions

For the purpose of this Convention:

(i)

‘nuclear installation’ means for each Contracting Party any land-based civil nuclear power plant under its jurisdiction
including such storage, handling and treatment facilities for radioactive materials as are on the same site and are
directly related to the operation of the nuclear power plant. Such a plant ceases to be a nuclear installation when all
nuclear fuel elements have been removed permanently from the reactor core and have been stored safely in
accordance with approved procedures, and a decommissioning programme has been agreed to by the regulatory
body;

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(ii)

‘regulatory body’ means for each Contracting Party any body or bodies given the legal authority by that Contracting
Party to grant licences and to regulate the siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation or decommissioning
of nuclear installations;

(iii)

‘licence’ means any authorisation granted by the regulatory body to the applicant to have the responsibility for the
siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation or decommissioning of a nuclear installation.

Article 3

Scope of application

This Convention shall apply to the safety of nuclear installations.

CHAPTER 2

OBLIGATIONS

(a) General provisions

Article 4

Implementing measures

Each Contracting Party shall take, within the framework of its national law, the legislative, regulatory and administrative
measures and other steps necessary for implementing its obligations under this Convention.

Article 5

Reporting

Each Contracting Party shall submit for review, prior to each meeting referred to in Article 20, a report on the measures it
has taken to implement each of the obligations of this Convention.

Article 6

Existing nuclear installations

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that the safety of nuclear installations existing at the time
the Convention enters into force for that Contracting Party is reviewed as soon as possible. When necessary in the context
of this Convention, the Contracting Party shall ensure that all reasonably practicable improvements are made as a matter
of urgency to upgrade the safety of the nuclear installation. If such upgrading cannot be achieved, plans should be
implemented to shut down the nuclear installation as soon as practically possible. The timing of the shut-down may take
into account the whole energy context and possible alternatives as well as the social, environmental and economic impact.

(b) Legislation and regulation

Article 7

Legislative and regulatory framework

Each Contracting Party shall establish and maintain a legislative and regulatory framework to govern the safety of

1.
nuclear installations.

2. The legislative and regulatory framework shall provide for:

(i) the establishment of applicable national safety requirements and regulations;

(ii) a system of licensing with regard to nuclear installations and the prohibition of the operation of a nuclear installation

without a licence;

(iii) a system of regulatory inspection and assessment of nuclear installations to ascertain compliance with applicable

regulations and the terms of licences;

(iv) the enforcement of applicable regulations and of the terms of licences,

including suspension, modification or

revocation.

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Article 8

Regulatory body

1.
Each Contracting Party shall establish or designate a regulatory body entrusted with the implementation of the
legislative and regulatory framework referred to in Article 7, and provided with adequate authority, competence and
financial and human resources to fulfil

its assigned responsibilities.

2.
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure an effective separation between the functions of the
regulatory body and those of any other body or organisation concerned with the promotion or utilisation of nuclear
energy.

Article 9

Responsibility of the licence holder

Each Contracting Party shall ensure that prime responsibility for the safety of a nuclear installation rests with the holder of
the relevant licence and shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that each such licence holder meets its responsibility.

(c) General safety considerations

Article 10

Priority to safety

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that all organisations engaged in activities directly related
to nuclear installations shall establish policies that give due priority to nuclear safety.

Article 11

Financial and human resources

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that adequate financial resources are available to

1.
support the safety of each nuclear installation throughout its life.

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that sufficient numbers of qualified staff with
training and retraining are available for all safety-related activities in or for each nuclear

2.
appropriate education,
installation, throughout its life.

Article 12

Human factors

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that the capabilities and limitations of human
performance are taken into account throughout the life of a nuclear installation.

Article 13

Quality assurance

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that quality assurance programmes are established and
implemented with a view to providing confidence that specified requirements for all activities important to nuclear safety
are satisfied throughout the life of a nuclear installation.

Article 14

Assessment and verification of safety

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

(i) comprehensive and systematic safety assessments are carried out before the construction and commissioning of a
nuclear installation and throughout its life. Such assessments shall be well documented, subsequently updated in the
light of operating experience and significant new safety information, and reviewed under the authority of the
regulatory body;

(ii) verification by analysis, surveillance, testing and inspection is carried out to ensure that the physical state and the
operation of a nuclear installation continue to be in accordance with its design, applicable national safety require-
ments, and operational

limits and conditions.

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Article 15

Radiation protection

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that in all operational states, the radiation exposure to
the workers and the public caused by a nuclear installation shall be kept as low as reasonably achievable and that no
individual shall be exposed to radiation doses which exceed prescribed national dose limits.

Article 16

Emergency preparedness

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that there are on-site and off-site emergency plans
1.
that are routinely tested for nuclear installations and cover the activities to be carried out in the event of an emergency.

For any new nuclear installation, such plans shall be prepared and tested before it commences operation above a low
power level agreed by the regulatory body.

2.
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that, in so far as they are likely to be affected by a
radiological emergency, its own population and the competent authorities of the states in the vicinity of the nuclear
installation are provided with appropriate information for emergency planning and response.

3. Contracting Parties which do not have a nuclear installation on their territory, in so far as they are likely to be
affected in the event of a radiological emergency at a nuclear installation in the vicinity, shall take the appropriate steps
for the preparation and testing of emergency plans for their territory that cover the activities to be carried out in the event
of such an emergency.

(d) Safety of installations

Article 17

Siting

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that appropriate procedures are established and
implemented:

(i) for evaluating all relevant site-related factors likely to affect the safety of a nuclear installation for its projected

lifetime;

(ii) for evaluating the likely safety impact of a proposed nuclear installation on individuals, society and the environment;

(iii) for re-evaluating as necessary all relevant factors referred to in subparagraphs (i) and (ii) so as to ensure the continued

safety acceptability of the nuclear installation;

(iv) for consulting Contracting Parties in the vicinity of a proposed nuclear installation, in so far as they are likely to be
affected by that installation and, on request providing the necessary information to such Contracting Parties, in order
to enable them to evaluate and make their own assessment of the likely safety impact on their own territory of the
nuclear installation.

Article 18

Design and construction

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

(i) the design and construction of a nuclear installation provide for several reliable levels and methods of protection
(defence in depth) against the release of radioactive materials, with a view to preventing the occurrence of accidents
and to mitigating their radiological consequences should they occur;

(ii) the technologies incorporated in the design and construction of a nuclear installation are proven by experience or

qualified by testing or analysis;

(iii) the design of a nuclear installation allows for reliable, stable and easily manageable operation, with specific

consideration of human factors and the man-machine interface.

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Article 19

Operation

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

(i) the initial authorisation to operate a nuclear installation is based on an appropriate safety analysis and a
commissioning programme demonstrating that the installation, as constructed, is consistent with design and safety
requirements;

(ii) operational limits and conditions derived from the safety analysis, tests and operational experience are defined and

revised as necessary for identifying safe boundaries for operation;

(iii) operation, maintenance, inspection and testing of a nuclear installation are conducted in accordance with approved

procedures;

(iv) procedures are established for responding to anticipated operational occurrences and to accidents;

(v) necessary engineering and technical support in all safety-related fields is available throughout the lifetime of a

nuclear installation;

(vi)

incidents significant to safety are reported in a timely manner by the holder of the relevant licence to the regulatory
body;

(vii) programmes to collect and analyse operating experience are established, the results obtained and the conclusions
drawn are acted on and that existing mechanisms are used to share important experience with international bodies
and with other operating organisations and regulatory bodies;

(viii) the generation of radioactive waste resulting from the operation of a nuclear installation is kept to the minimum
practicable for the process concerned, both in activity and in volume, and any necessary treatment and storage of
spent fuel and waste directly related to the operation and on the same site as that of the nuclear installation take
into consideration conditioning and disposal.

CHAPTER 3

MEETINGS OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

Article 20

Review meetings

1. The Contracting Parties shall hold meetings (hereinafter referred to as ‘review meetings’) for the purpose of reviewing
the reports submitted pursuant to Article 5 in accordance with the procedures adopted under Article 22.

2.
Subject to the provisions of Article 24 subgroups comprised of representatives of the Contracting Parties may be
established and may function during the review meetings as deemed necessary for the purpose of reviewing specific
subjects contained in the reports.

Each Contracting Party shall have a reasonable opportunity to discuss the reports submitted by other Contracting

3.
Parties and to seek clarification of such reports.

Article 21

Timetable

1. A preparatory meeting of the Contracting Parties shall be held not later than six months after the date of entry into
force of this Convention.

2. At this preparatory meeting, the Contracting Parties shall determine the date for the first review meeting. This review
meeting shall be held as soon as possible, but not later than 30 months after the date of entry into force of this
Convention.

3. At each review meeting, the Contracting Parties shall determine the date for the next such meeting. The interval
between review meetings shall not exceed three years.

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Article 22

Procedural arrangements

1. At the preparatory meeting held pursuant to Article 21 the Contracting Parties shall prepare and adopt by consensus
Rules of Procedure and Financial Rules. The Contracting Parties shall establish in particular and in accordance with the
Rules of Procedure:

(i) guidelines regarding the form and structure of the reports to be submitted pursuant to Article 5;

(ii) a date for the submission of such reports;

(iii) the process for reviewing such reports.

2. At review meetings the Contracting Parties may,
if necessary, review the arrangements established pursuant to
subparagraphs (i) to (iii), and adopt revisions by consensus unless otherwise provided for in the Rules of Procedure. They
may also amend the Rules of Procedure and the Financial Rules, by consensus.

Article 23

Extraordinary meetings

An extraordinary meeting of the Contracting Parties shall be held:

(i)

if so agreed by a majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting at a meeting, abstentions being considered as
voting; or

(ii) at the written request of a Contracting Party, within six months of this request having been communicated to the
Contracting Parties and notification having been received by the secretariat referred to in Article 28, that the request
has been supported by a majority of the Contracting Parties.

Article 24

Attendance

Each Contracting Party shall attend meetings of the Contracting Parties and be represented at such meetings by one

1.
delegate, and by such alternates, experts and advisers as it deems necessary.

2. The Contracting Parties may invite, by consensus, any intergovernmental organisation which is competent in respect
of matters governed by this Convention to attend, as an observer, any meeting, or specific sessions thereof. Observers
shall be required to accept in writing, and in advance, the provisions of Article 27.

Article 25

Summary reports

The Contracting Parties shall adopt, by consensus, and make available to the public a document addressing issues
discussed and conclusions reached during a meeting.

Article 26

Languages

1. The languages of meetings of the Contracting Parties shall be Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish
unless otherwise provided in the Rules of Procedure.

2. Reports submitted pursuant to Article 5 shall be prepared in the national language of the submitting Contracting
Party or in a single designated language to be agreed in the Rules of Procedure. Should the report be submitted in a
national language other than the designated language, a translation of the report into the designated language shall be
provided by the Contracting Party.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, if compensated, the secretariat will assume the translation into the
designated language of reports submitted in any other language of the meeting.

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Article 27

Confidentiality

1. The provisions of this Convention shall not affect the rights and obligations of the Contracting Parties under their law
to protect information from disclosure. For the purposes of this Article, ‘information’ includes, inter alia, (i) personal data;
(ii) information protected by intellectual property rights or by industrial or commercial confidentiality; and (iii) informa-
tion relating to national security or to the physical protection of nuclear materials or nuclear installations.

2. When, in the context of this Convention, a Contracting Party provides information identified by it as protected as
described in paragraph 1, such information shall be used only for the purposes for which it has been provided and its
confidentiality shall be respected.

3. The content of the debates during the reviewing of the reports by the Contracting Parties at each meeting shall be
confidential.

Article 28

Secretariat

1. The International Atomic Energy Agency, (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Agency’) shall provide the secretariat for the
meetings of the Contracting Parties.

2. The secretariat shall:

(i) convene, prepare and service the meetings of the Contracting Parties;

(ii) transmit to the Contracting Parties information received or prepared in accordance with the provisions of this

Convention.

The costs incurred by the Agency in carrying out the functions referred to in subparagraphs (i) and (ii) shall be borne by
the Agency as part of its regular budget.

3. The Contracting Parties may, by consensus, request the Agency to provide other services in support of meetings of
the Contracting Parties. The Agency may provide such services if they can be undertaken within its programme and
regular budget. Should this not be possible, the Agency may provide such services if voluntary funding is provided from
another source.

CHAPTER 4

FINAL CLAUSES AND OTHER PROVISIONS

Article 29

Resolution of disagreements

In the event of a disagreement between two or more Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or application of
this Convention, the Contracting Parties shall consult within the framework of a meeting of the Contracting Parties with a
view to resolving the disagreement.

Article 30

Signature, ratification, acceptance, approval, accession

1. This Convention shall be open for signature by all states at the Headquarters of the Agency in Vienna from 20
September 1994 until

its entry into force.

2. This Convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval by the signatory states.

3. After its entry into force, this Convention shall be open for accession by all states.

4.

(i) This Convention shall be open for signature or accession by regional organisations of an integration or other
nature, provided that any such organisation is constituted by sovereign states and has competence in respect of
the negotiation, conclusion and application of international agreements in matters covered by this Convention.

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(ii)

In matters within their competence, such organisations shall, on their own behalf, exercise the rights and fulfil
the responsibilities which this Convention attributes to states parties.

(iii) When becoming party to this Convention, such an organisation shall communicate to the depositary referred
to in Article 34, a declaration indicating which states are members thereof, which articles of this Convention
apply to it, and the extent of its competence in the field covered by those articles.

(iv) Such an organisation shall not hold any vote additional to those of its Member States.

5.

Instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be deposited with the depositary.

Article 31

Entry into force

1. This Convention shall enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit with the depositary of the 22nd
instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, including the instruments of 17 states, each having at least one nuclear
installation which has achieved criticality in a reactor core.

2.
For each state or regional organisation of an integration of other nature which ratifies, accepts, approves or accedes
to this Convention after the date of deposit of the last instrument required to satisfy the conditions set forth in paragraph
1, this Convention shall enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit with the depositary of the appropriate
instrument by such a state or organisation.

Article 32

Amendments to the Convention

1. Any Contracting Party may propose an amendment to this Convention. Proposed amendments shall be considered at
a review meeting or an extraordinary meeting.

2. The text of any proposed amendment and the reasons for it shall be provided to the depositary who shall
communicate the proposal to the Contracting Parties promptly and at least 90 days before the meeting for which it is
submitted for consideration. Any comments received on such a proposal shall be circulated by the depositary to the
Contracting Parties.

3. The Contracting Parties shall decide after consideration of the proposed amendment whether to adopt it by
consensus, or, in the absence of consensus, to submit it to a Diplomatic Conference. A decision to submit a proposed
amendment to a Diplomatic Conference shall require a two thirds majority vote of the Contracting Parties present and
voting at the meeting, provided that at least one half of the Contracting Parties are present at the time of voting.
Abstentions shall be considered as voting.

4. The Diplomatic Conference to consider and adopt amendments to this Convention shall be convened by the
depositary and held no later than one year after the appropriate decision taken in accordance with paragraph 3 of this
Article. The Diplomatic Conference shall make every effort to ensure amendments are adopted by consensus. Should this
not be possible, amendments shall be adopted with a two thirds majority of all Contracting Parties.

5. Amendments to this Convention adopted pursuant to paragraphs 3 and 4 shall be subject to ratification, acceptance,
approval, or confirmation by the Contracting Parties and shall enter into force for those Contracting Parties which have
ratified, accepted, approved or confirmed them on the 90th day after the receipt by the depositary of the relevant
instruments by at least three fourths of the Contracting Parties. For a Contracting Party which subsequently ratifies,
accepts, approves or confirms the said amendments, the amendments will enter into force on the 90th day after that
Contracting Party has deposited its relevant instrument.

Article 33

Denunciation

1. Any Contracting Party may denounce this Convention by written notification to the depositary.

2. Denunciation shall take effect one year following the date of the receipt of the notification by the depositary, or on
such later date as may be specified in the notification.

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Article 34

Depositary

1. The Director General of the Agency shall be the depositary of this Convention.

2. The depositary shall

inform the Contracting Parties of:

(i) the signature of this Convention and of the deposit of instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession,

in accordance with Article 30;

(ii) the date on which the Convention enters into force,

in accordance with Article 31;

(iii) the notifications of denunciation of the Convention and the date thereof, made in accordance with Article 33;

(iv) the proposed amendments to this Convention submitted by Contracting Parties, the amendments adopted by the
relevant Diplomatic Conference or by the meeting of the Contracting Parties, and the date of entry into force of the
said amendments,

in accordance with Article 32.

The original of this Convention of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally
authentic, shall be deposited with the depositary, who shall send certified copies thereof to the Contracting Parties.

Article 35

Authentic texts

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Declaration by the European Atomic Energy Community according to the provisions of Article 30(4)(iii) of the
Nuclear Safety Convention

The following States are presently members of the European Atomic Energy Community: the Kingdom of Belgium, the
Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French
Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of
Austria, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland.

The Community declares that Articles 15 and 16(2) of the Convention apply to it. Articles 1 to 5, Article 7(1), Article
14(ii) and Articles 20 to 35 also apply to it only in so far as the fields covered by Articles 15 and 16(2) are concerned.

The Community possesses competence, shared with the abovementioned Member States, in the fields covered by Articles
15 and 16(2) of the Convention as provided for by the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community in
Article 2(b) and the relevant Articles of Title II, Chapter 3 entitled ‘Health and safety’.