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The mission of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is to provide assistance to its member countries to better address existing and emerging issues in the area of nuclear power. Emphasis is placed on developing scientific and technological bases for public, workers and environmental health and safety.
The NEA has for some time been concerned with maintaining competence in any areas relevant for nuclear energy, and has issued reports on this important subject. Results of studies carried out by some NEA standing technical committees such as the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA), the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI), the Committee for Technical and Economic Studies on Nuclear Energy Development and the Fuel Cycle (NDC), and the Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) will constitute the main basis of this presentation.
While maintaining competence in a shrinking nuclear infrastructure remains a major challenge, a broad trend seems to be emerging that may influence radiation protection norms and infrastructures. Indeed, stakeholders’ influence on decision making processes is a factor that the nuclear community has to take more and more into account. Therefore, the roles and responsibilities of radiological protection (RP) professionals are changing. RP specialists are increasingly being called upon to interact and communicate with stakeholder groups. All relevant organisations should make an effort to reflect this reality into their education and training programmes. The NEA has always been involved in this area of expertise and will still be working on it in order to assist main actors to further develop new infrastructures.
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