The objective of this follow-up study was to support SSM in further understanding regulatory approaches and how they can be combined as part of effective strategies. The survey was intended to assist SSM in identifying current standards, experiences, and practices in the regulation of nuclear power plants. The results will also be valuable for the participating authorities as well as other parties interested in nuclear regulatory supervision activities.
In the more in-depth study, it was stressed that regulatory supervision is a dynamic process and that the approaches being examined in this survey were important tools, used iteratively and in combination to address complex cases. The effectiveness of any approach was linked to how appropriate it was to the specific characteristics of the case.
Many of the findings from the previous study were confirmed by the findings from the extended new study, including most of the benefits and difficulties of different approaches. As found in the previous study, combinations of approaches were used across all the areas of regulatory supervision studied. The findings from the study show that the combinations of approaches depend on the nature of regulatory supervision. There is also a tendency to combine additional approaches as a functional area of regulatory supervision becomes more complex.
SSM will use the findings in order to achieve a regulatory supervision that is more effective and even more appropriate for purpose. In SSM’s further development of its regulatory activities, approaches and strategies will be developed for various areas of regulatory supervision and be adapted to the nature of the areas and matters of regulatory supervision as well as their importance for safety.