Licence for decommissioning

Due to the fact that an increasing number of reactors of older design are approaching the end of their serviceable life and have to be decommissioned, the post-operational phase with the special technical and legal aspects involved is to be given more attention. Reconciling the licensing requirements with the technical ones is a difficult task in this phase, as the standards developed meanwhile for the construction and operational phase cannot be applied. The author outlines some solutions of the problems emanating from the different needs of operating or decommissioning licences, and tries to define requirements for an appropriate, legal definition of the state of a nuclear installation subsequent to final shutdown. (orig.)