Germany

Nuclear regulatory authority

The “regulatory body” is composed of federal government and Länder government authorities.
On the federal level the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS)  are the regulatory authorities in charge.

Nuclear activities

• 9 nuclear power plant units (7 PWR, 2 BWR) at 8 different sites

• 4 research reactors with a capacity of more than 50 kW thermal power, 4 small training reactors

• 1 uranium enrichment plant, 1 fuel element fabrication plant

• decommissioning and dismantling activities

• medical units, industrial radioactive sources

• transportation of radioactive material

Radioactive waste and spent fuel management

A number of facilities in operation serve the purposes of treatment, conditioning and interim storage (central interim storage facilities and local interim storage facilities) of radioactive waste.
Waste management facilities for low-level and medium-level radioactive waste with short half-lives: two repositories out of commission; one repository licensed, commissioning approximately 2019.

Main legal instruments

• basis for law-making and administrative competences in the Constitution

• Atomic Energy Act; several ordinances

• system of guidelines, technical standards and requirements