From information and consultation to citizen influence and power. 10-Year Evolution in Public involvement in Radioactive Waste Management

The OECD/NEA Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC) was created in 2000 to promote the sharing of international experience in addressing the societal dimension of radioactive waste management. It explores means of ensuring an effective dialogue amongst all stakeholders and to strengthen confidence in decision-making processes. The working definition given to the term 'stakeholder' is: Any actor - institution, group or individual - with an interest or with a role to play in the process. The FSC has documented a wealth of experience through topical sessions and studies and, in particular, through its many national workshops and community visits. The present flyer highlights the growing stakeholder empowerment in radioactive waste management observed since the inception of the Forum ten years ago. Important changes have taken place in citizen participation for radioactive waste management in the past decade: a shift from information and consultation towards citizen influence and power, and a shift from overt conflict or resigned acceptance to volunteering and collaboration by local communities. Overall, there is recognition of the legitimacy of community empowerment measures and socio-economic benefits, and there exist now a great variety of administrative formats for collaboration. New ideals and bases for collaboration have also emerged. These are: mutual learning, adding value to the host community/region, and sustainable development