International peer reviews for radioactive waste management. General information and guidelines

The NEA has an acknowledged role in developing a global strategy for examining the sustainability of the use of nuclear power and nuclear materials. One of the objectives of the NEA is to assist member countries in developing strategies for the safe, sustainable and broadly acceptable management of all types of radioactive waste, in particular long-lived waste and spent fuel. In this context, the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) provides a forum for senior representatives from national agencies, regulatory authorities, policy making bodies, and research and development institutions with responsibilities in the management of radioactive waste and materials, as well as for other government-nominated specialists, to exchange information and experience on waste management policies and practices in NEA member countries, and to advance the state of the art on the technical and societal aspects of radioactive waste management. International peer reviews of national radioactive waste management programmes, or of specific aspects of them, have been increasingly carried out under the aegis of the RWMC over the past ten years. International peer review as a working method is closely associated with OECD practice, where it is facilitated by the homogeneous membership and the high degree of trust shared by the member countries. This document lays down the guidelines that the requesting country, the Secretariat and the international review team ought to have in mind when an international peer review is requested, organised or carried out. (author)