Abu Dhabi, October 05: The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, issued Federal Law No. 6 of 2009 Regarding the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.
The law represents a key component of the necessary legal infrastructure, in accordance with the criteria set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a framework for the successful implementation of a peaceful nuclear energy sector.
The law also institutionalised other elements of the UAE’s policy on the evaluation and potential development of a peaceful nuclear energy programme, which was published in April 2008, including prohibiting the development, construction or operation of uranium enrichment or spent fuel reprocessing facilities within the borders of the UAE.
According to the law, a safety regulator will be established and mechanisms will be developed to preserve its regulatory independence and fiscal sustainability. These are important steps in achieving UAE’s aspiration of delivering the highest standards of safety within any future peaceful nuclear energy programme.
In keeping with its policy commitment to complete operational transparency, the UAE consulted closely with the IAEA, as well as the governments of major nuclear suppliers such as France, United States, United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea in the development of the law. All of these parties provided valuable feedback that contributed to the development of this legislation.
The law was also circulated broadly within the UAE among federal and local authorities, where additional useful feedback was provided to ensure seamless implementation.
Key features
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The establishment of the ‘Federal Authority of Nuclear Regulation’, a fully independent nuclear safety regulatory authority, which aims to oversee the nuclear energy sector in the state and to promote the highest standards of nuclear safety, nuclear security and radiological protection;
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The development of a robust system for the licensing and control of nuclear material; and
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The criminalisation and assignment of harsh civil and criminal penalties for violating the law, including the unauthorised use, theft, transport or trade in nuclear materials.
The Cabinet of Ministers passed a resolution appointing the members of the Board of Management for the new regulatory body.
The Board of Management, which will be led by Dr Ahmed Al Mazroui as Chairman, includes Abdulla Nasser Al Suwaidi, Deputy Chairman, Ali Shaer Sultan Al Dhaheri, Saif Mohamed Al Zaabi, Majid Ali Al Mansouri, Ambassador Hamad Ali Al Kaabi, Dr Abdulkader Ibrahim Abdulla Al Khayat, Dr Ali Mohamed Shaheen and Representative of the Ministry of Environment and Water as members.
Under the law, members of the Board of Management enjoy significant legal protections designed to prevent any conflicts of interests with their role as regulators, as well as to preserve their independence in making regulatory or licensing decisions. As one of its first steps, the newly convened Board of Management confirmed the appointment of Dr William D. Travers as the first Director-General of the new nuclear regulatory body. Dr Travers, previously served as a senior technical adviser at the IAEA, as well as the Executive Director for Operations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the United States, which is considered one of the leading regulatory bodies in the world.
Upon the formation of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, Dr Ahmed Al Mazroui, stressed the importance of safety in developing a nuclear energy sector in the UAE.
‘We fully understand the unrivaled importance of safety with regard to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and are committed to ensuring that the benefits of peaceful nuclear energy, whether within the areas of electricity generation, medicine, industry or agriculture, are only made available in a manner that does not compromise public safety or the environment,’ Al Mazroui said.
–Agencies