Harmonization of licensing processes for the certification of new reactor designs

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) design certification process and its ongoing efforts to develop a regulatory structure for new plant licensing are summarized, including key attributes of both the design certification process and the governing principles of the new licensing process. The role of identifying safety goals and protective strategies as guiding principles, which can be applied to a variety of regulatory bodies and their licensing processes, is defined. A proposal to develop common safety goals and protective strategies within the international community is presented. (author)