A German perspective on advances in safety standards and regulations

At present, different proposals for evolutionary or innovative reactors are under consideration. Therefore, it is necessary that the regulators give guidance on the required safety characteristics of future designs of nuclear power plants. On the one hand, existing regulations have to be updated according to the current state of science and technology. Best available and adequately approved technology has to be used as a yardstick for the acceptability of future basic design features. On the other hand, potential safety features of innovative or revolutionary designs must be considered as serious competitors and potential technical solutions taking the state of maturity of the concepts, the extent of practical experience and the level of effort needed for realization into due account. On this background, recent developments of the Atomic Energy Act, of safety regulations and investigations of requirements for future designs in the Federal Republic of Germany and current projects of international cooperation are presented. (author)