Role of international appraisals and peer review missions

The major accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in April 1986 has triggered many changes in managing nuclear safety matters, two of them being enhanced international cooperation and a strengthened nuclear regulatory regime. First of all, the value of a common view on appropriate safety standards has been recognized. As the worldwide implications of any safety drawback had become quite obvious, international appraisals appeared as one of the important instruments to ensure enhancement of nuclear safety levels at different facilities up to internationally recognized standards. The maximum attention has been given to the old generation of nuclear power units, particularly to the so-called 'Soviet design reactors'. International appraisals performed in the early 1990s resulted not only in general assessments and comments but also in certain recommendations on measures to be implemented. Further implementation of identified measures as well as strengthening nuclear regulatory authorities, which was also based on development of the common view and peer review missions, were closely followed by different stakeholders. It all made a significant input into a global change of perception of nuclear power from moratoria on further development and even early shutdowns of operating units in many countries to a growing acceptance, even though reluctant to some extent, of life extension for old units with an acceptable nuclear safety level and construction of new units. But with new nuclear safety and security challenges the value of international regulatory cooperation becomes even higher and joint appraisals and peer review missions are becoming even more important tools for introducing a new generation of nuclear power. (author)