Vienna: Over 100 delegates convened in Vienna last month to accelerate the establishment of a global nuclear liability regime under the framework of a global convention. The Fifth Meeting of the Contracting Parties and Signatories to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) took place at the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) headquarters from 23-26 June 2025.
According to EMM, industry participants emphasized the necessity of establishing a global nuclear liability regime based on the CSC. This would provide legal certainty to stakeholders in the nuclear industry worldwide, including operators, insurers, suppliers, and investors. The meeting facilitated practical discussions related to the operation of the CSC.
Ben McRae, Chair of the Fifth Meeting and Assistant General Counsel for Civilian Nuclear Programs at the US Department of Energy, agreed that the CSC is the optimal approach to address nuclear liability. It provides legal certainty, minimizes supply chain concerns, and enhances investor confidence.
A specialist panel addressed the significance of the CSC concerning the impact of nuclear liability on the cost of nuclear projects. The meeting concluded with discussions on a potential amendment to the CSC, aiming to eliminate the obligation for States without nuclear reactors to contribute to the convention's supplementary international fund, encouraging broader participation.
The meeting demonstrated growing momentum towards increased adherence to the CSC, which covers approximately forty percent of the world's nuclear power plants. McRae stated that a global regime based on the CSC is crucial for realizing the full potential of nuclear power as a source of safe, secure, clean, and affordable energy.
Anthony Wetherall, Head of the Nuclear and Treaty Law Section in the IAEA Office of Legal Affairs, noted that the CSC is an essential component in building a global nuclear liability regime, as advocated by the IAEA General Conference. Wetherall highlighted efforts to amend the CSC to relieve non-nuclear reactor States from financial contributions to the CSC's supplementary international fund.
Adopted under IAEA auspices in 1997, the CSC is the only international nuclear liability convention covering approximately 180 operational reactors worldwide, or 43 percent of such reactors. It has 11 Parties and 11 Signatories and serves as an umbrella for countries party to existing international nuclear liability conventions or with national legislation conforming to basic nuclear liability principles.
The IAEA's online CSC calculator enables countries to simulate potential contributions to the CSC's contingent supplementary international fund. The inaugural meeting of the CSC Parties and Signatories occurred in Ottawa, Canada, in 2019, where the IAEA agreed to serve as the Secretariat and convene future meetings regularly.