Develop and fund a joint Government and Regulator International Strategy and Action Plan

Government and Regulators should develop an international regulatory strategy and delivery plan with clear timelines and deliverables with the aim to:

• Accelerate the assessment of new reactor designs with the expectation that decisions of acceptability of design will be given within two years and subsequent licensing within one year through;
  • Maximising the ability to undertake joint reviews on new designs with other trusted international regulators; and
  • Maximising the leveraging of existing regulatory reviews approved by other trusted national regulators; and regulators; and
• Enhance engagement with international bodies and take a leading role in nuclear regulatory standardisation and harmonisation for the benefit of the UK and global deployment of new nuclear power.

Government should provide dedicated funding to regulators to enable them to implement these ambitious international engagement strategies.

Government should make a direction under the Energy Act 2013 to the ONR that it should maximise the leverage of existing regulatory reviews approved by other trusted national regulators. This should establish that the ONR is justified in relying on the approvals from states where there are formal working arrangements, such as Memoranda of Understanding. The direction should establish a strong presumption, without prejudice to regulatory independence, that regulatory attention is focused on national or site-specific risks or issues.