System certification: past, present and future

System Certification (SC) describes a regulatory concept that would enable transport of Radioactive Materials (RAM) consignments that could not be shipped from one place to another without some deviation from regulations. Many shipments that are and will be required to support a mature nuclear industry, particularly decommissioning of facilities, will increase the need for SC applications. The Special Arrangement provisions in transport regulations are currently used for such shipments, but the implication of special treatment, together with the lack of specific requirements for demonstrating equivalent safety, mean that the concept is a regulatory gamble. The IAEA recently revised its regulations in a way that enables SC-like applications, but does not specifically create SC as a regulatory concept. Issues relating to the use of risk assessment technology to demonstrate equivalent safety and accommodation of increasing public involvement in regulatory decisions will have impact on the application of SC. (author)