Protocol to amend the Paris Convention on Nuclear Third Party Liability

negotiated  February 12th, 2004
ratified  -
countries involved  2

The 2004 Protocol to amend the Paris Convention on Nuclear Third Party Liability seeks to address a number of key issues concerning the original Paris Convention that is designed to ensure that victims of nuclear damage are fairly compensated. Foremost amongst the amendments is a significant increase in the amount a civil operator is liable to pay, with the new limit being set at no less than 700 million Euros. In addition to a number of revisions for the amounts of basic liability, transport, and low risk installations, from 15 million for basic liability and 5 million special drawing rights for transport and low risk installations to 700, 80 and 70 million Euros respectively, compensation will be granted for a wider range of damages. Amongst these include economic damage due to an impaired environment and extra costs to establish preventive measures. Under the protocol to amend victims are also granted up to thirty years to apply for compensation instead of the original ten years in the original Paris Convention. Finally, the 2004 protocol to amend recognises that coastal states have the right to deal with cases of nuclear damage if such an event occurs in a State Party’s exclusive economic zone.

involved countries