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European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group

WG3 - Transparency and Public Information

Mandate

ENSREG WG3 – Transparency and public information – was set up to make nuclear safety information and the work of ENSREG publicly accessible. Its mandate stems from the Council of the European Union’s 2007 conclusions on nuclear safety, which emphasised the need for greater transparency on nuclear safety.

The group ensures compliance with the Nuclear Safety Directive and imposes transparency and communication obligations on EU countries. Countries must inform the public about nuclear safety policies, regulatory decisions and major developments, while ensuring access to non-confidential safety information. The Directive promotes accountability, cross-border cooperation and public trust in nuclear safety governance, which has been strengthened by amendments following the Fukushima incident in 2011.

WG3 also collaborates with other ENSREG working groups (e.g. on topical peer reviews and nuclear safety) to ensure proper stakeholder engagement and consistency. WG3 reports directly to ENSREG and contributes to its strategic objectives. 

 

Main tasks and activities

WG3’s specific tasks, along with clear deliverables and milestones, are set out in ENSREG’s work programme. The group focuses on 3 key areas of action.

  1. Transparency and engagement

This area’s main objective is to promote best practices in transparency, exchanging knowledge with international groups (e.g. Nuclear Energy Agency, European Nuclear Energy Forum) and ensuring 2-way communication. 

Activities include:

  • supporting EU countries in openly communicating on nuclear safety issues
  • organising public consultations, hearings and dialogues (led by ENSREG’s Chair/Vice-Chair) to develop trust.

 

  1. Public information hub

    This area’s main objective is to improve accessibility to information, publish consultation documents and guide EU countries on what safety information to share.

    Activities include:

  • developing and maintaining a central ENSREG website (with the European Commission) to provide clear, up-to-date information on ENSREG activities and nuclear safety
  • carrying out targeted outreach to ensure that the public knows how to access information and provide feedback.

 

  1. Measuring impact

    This area’s main objective is to ensure continuous improvement in how nuclear safety information is shared and understood.

    Activities include:

  • tracking the effectiveness of transparency efforts and adapting strategies based on input from the public and stakeholders
  • identifying gaps in public engagement and proposing solutions to boost participation.

 

Membership and operation

The group is chaired by ENSREG member Mr J. Oliveira Martins, Director for Emergencies and Radiation Protection at the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA). Each EU country and the European Commission can nominate up to 2 members to WG3. These members have expertise in communication and public engagement from national nuclear regulatory authorities or ministries responsible for nuclear safety. Other European countries and international organisations may be invited as observers to WG3.

 

WG3 meets at least twice per year: with 1 online and 1 in person meeting.