KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

In its report on Future Nuclear Regulatory Challenges, published in 1998, the NEA Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) stressed the importance of the interface between regulatory authorities and the public. In many countries there is little or no interaction between regulatory bodies and the public for a variety of reasons. Moreover, for those countries where there is already interface with the public, hte consultation process varies widely from one country to another. In general, it is believed that providing the pubic with information will require increasing resources in the future. Regulatory bodies are responsible for informing the public about their role in ensuring nuclear safety. Major challenges in this area were summarised in the report in the following way: - responding to increasing pressures on regulatory body resources in some countries to accommodate public needs to participate in deliberations as well as the decision-making process through hearings and consultations; - meeting freedom of information requirements and the requirement in some countries to respond to all requests from the public and the media; - responding to puboic demands for involvement in major decision making; and - how to maintain an appropriate balance between the need to inform the public and at the same time the need to encourage responsible media reporting of regulatory actions. The meeting confirmed that the term "the public" covers a variety of potentially interested parties such as the lay public, professional bodies, the media, pressure groups and elected representatives. The word "interface" was viewed as encompassing not only communication acitvities with the public, either as an interactive process or as a one-way information effort, but also aspets of public participation in regulatory decision making such as in hearings and local information boards. Major topics explored at the meeting included: - the nature and role of the regulator, and the compostition and characteristics of discrete groups making up the public; - the importance of communication and consultation with the public, openness and transparency, credibility and trust, examples of interfaces; - communication experiences by regulatory organisations, where pro-active seeking of public participation had yielded clear benefits or been less successful; - where to draw the line between the regulatory role and what is demanded from regulators by different groups within the public.