Tunisia's Plan to Develop a New Legal and Regulatory Framework to Bring the Additional Protocol into Force

This paper describes Tunisia's efforts to establish a new nuclear legislative and regulatory framework. In particular, this new comprehensive nuclear law will help to bring into force the Additional Protocol that was signed on 24 May 2005 but not yet ratified. Tunisia has always supported the international community's efforts in strengthening the international safeguards regime. However, the Additional Protocol is not yet ratified due to an existing legal and regulatory system that is not suitable for the effective implementation of the Additional Protocol provisions. In 2008, the National Atomic Energy Commission took the decision to establish a national legal and technical expert committee, to be in charge of establishing a new legislative and regulatory framework for peaceful uses of nuclear energy. This decision was later approved by the Board of Ministers. The expert team prepared and submitted to the Government a draft of a comprehensive nuclear law that dedicated a whole chapter to Safeguards and Monitoring of Nuclear Material Import and Export. It includes provisions establishing a national system for the implementation of the Additional Protocol. The law also provides for the creation of the National Nuclear Safety Commission, which will be the new independent regulatory authority in charge of safeguards, among other responsibilities. This new law will be supported by several decrees and provisions to define obligations, targeted activities, materials, technologies, roles, responsibilities and procedures. The decrees of application will provide detailed regulatory provisions that will constitute a clear basis for an effective implementation of all obligations under the Additional Protocol. The National Nuclear Safety Commission, to be established by the adoption of the comprehensive nuclear law, shall publish the forms, methods and procedures, and deadlines for submitting different Additional Protocol declarations and related guidance documents. By the adoption of this legal and regulatory framework, Tunisia will be in a good position to bring its Additional Protocol into force. (author)