NEA Mandates and Structures

Expert Group on the Application of Robotics and Remote Systems in the Nuclear Back-end (EGRRS)

Chair(s):	Rustam STOLKIN, United Kingdom	Secretary:	Martin BRANDAUER (martin.brandauer@oecd-nea.org)
Vice-Chair(s):	Philippe GARREC, France Michael KNAACK, Germany Alexandr LOPOTA, Russia Anders LABBA, Sweden
Member(s):	All NEA member countries^*
	Russia (Suspended*)
	^*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council.
Full participant(s):	European Commission Under the NEA Statute
Observer(s)(International Organisation):	International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) By agreement
Date of creation:	15 November 2019
End of mandate:	14 November 2021

Mandate (Document reference):

A new initiative in Support of Application Robotic and Remote Systems (RRS)
Summary record of the 52^nd Meeting of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee on 19 April 2019 [NEA/RWM/M(2019)6/PROV]
NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee Statement [NEA/RWM(2019)2] in Nuclear Back-end Activities. Terms of reference [NEA/RWM(2019)3]
Mandate of the Expert Group on the Application of Robotics and Remote Systems in the Nuclear Back-End (EGRRS) [NEA/RWM(2019)10/FINAL]

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract of document [NEA/RWM(2019)10/FINAL]

[...]

Mandate:

The Expert Group on the Application of Robotic and Remote Systems in the Nuclear Back-end (EGRRS) is established in order to support the member countries in optimising the development of national RW management and decommissioning programmes through the application of robotic and remote systems. Terms of Reference (ToR) on an initiative in support of application of RSS in nuclear back-end activities [NEA/RWM(2019)3] were discussed by the RWMC at its 52^nd plenary meeting held on 19 April 2019.

The EGRRS will advise member countries (under the RWMC and the CDLM) on the leading and emerging issues that focus on the development of strategic approaches to facilitate the implementation of RRS in RW management, decommissioning and legacy management at national and international levels.

The expert group will also support NEA Members in enabling a wider application of RRS to benefit the progress of scientific and technical knowledge. This expert group shall:

promote the exchange of information on RRS development and application amongst the participants; collect and analyse inputs from participants;
study the main and emerging challenges concerning the RRS application; identify the main factors influencing the RRS application; arrange the identified factors and elaborate a plan of actions to support the development in the area of provision of the nuclear back-end programmes with RRS including future innovative programmes (e.g. advanced types of reactors);
develop recommendations to members on establishing a framework, allowing the wider application of RRS in the nuclear back-end area; strive to achieve shared approaches and standards, where appropriate;
support the development and implementation of common procedures, rules, standards, etc. that can facilitate the process of RRS application amongst the potential users of the systems.

At the first stage of the EGRRS work, the expert group shall focus on a global overview of the situation in RRS application, identification and analysis of factors, influencing the RRS application. The main directions of future development of recommendations to member countries are to be identified and the list of issues (table of content of outcoming documents) to be developed and reported to the RWMC and the CDLM at their Joint Session(s).

At the next stage, the EGRRS will develop and publish its recommendations. Necessary standards/approaches will be developed and proposed for implementation to all interested parties.

The experience and approaches developed within the EGRRS can also be of benefit in other areas of nuclear energy beyond the nuclear back-end: nuclear fuel cycle activities, operation and safety provision of NPP, radiochemical enterprises, scientific projects and others.