Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management
The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management was successfully drafted on the 29 September 1997 and entered into force on the 18 June 2001. The convention seeks to achieve a robust safety framework for spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste and is designed to ensure that the safety risks these materials pose to the environment and society are minimised. Unless otherwise declared the convention only applies to spent fuel and radioactive waste that originate from civilian nuclear reactors and are not being reprocessed. Currently the convention prescribes a series of measures to achieve its objectives including minimising the generation of radioactive waste, enforcing an internationally recognised system of protective measures, maintaining a national licensing system for radioactive waste management, and developing a regulatory body to ensure that the appropriate legislation and regulations are followed. In order to maintain a high level of safety the 71 State Parties must evaluate that the siting, design, operation, and construction of future facilities follow safety procedures and the repercussions on society and the environment are minimised.