| Legislation | Scope |
|---|---|
| Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (as amended) | Provides for the licensing of nuclear installations and for regulation by attachment of conditions to the licence |
| Nuclear Installations Regulations 1971 | Extends the coverage of NIA65 to cover sites operated by BNFL and Amersham |
| Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 | General provisions for safeguarding the health and safety of people at work and members of the public |
| Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (Repeals and Modifications) Regulations 1990 | Removes the exemption status of UKAEA sites from licensing |
| Radioactive Substances Act 1993 | Provisions relating to the disposal and dispersal of radioactive wastes and the registration of radioactive materials (repealed in England and Wales in 2010, in Scotland in 2018; replaced by the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 in England/Wales and Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018; still applies in Northern Ireland) |
| Ionising Radiations (Outside Workers) Regulations 1993 | Provisions for the control of doses of workers who move from site to site — particularly relevant to decommissioning contractors (now incorporated in IRR 2017) |
| Nuclear Reactors (EIA for Decommissioning) Regulations 1999 | Provision for environmental statement indicating assessed impact on the environment |
| Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 | Dose limitations and optimisation of doses to workers and the public (replaced IRR 1999) |
| Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 (REPPIR 2019) | Provision of information to members of the public who may be affected by radiation emergencies (replaced REPPIR 2001) |
| Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 | Regulation of radioactive waste disposal and discharges in England and Wales |
| Energy Act 2004 | Established the NDA and the framework for decommissioning funding |
| Energy Act 2013 | Established the ONR as an independent statutory body |
| Energy Act 2023 | Amends NIA 1965 (compensation provisions); establishes Great British Nuclear (GBN); excludes fusion energy facilities from nuclear site licensing; extends licensing to territorial sea |
Post-Brexit Regulatory Changes
Following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union (effective 31 January 2020), several important regulatory changes affect the nuclear fuel cycle:
- The Nuclear Safeguards Act 2018 established a new domestic safeguards regime to replace the arrangements previously provided through EURATOM membership. Under this Act, ONR assumed responsibility for nuclear safeguards in the UK, a role previously fulfilled by EURATOM inspectors.
- The UK entered into a Voluntary Offer Agreement with the IAEA, enabling continued international verification of the UK’s civil nuclear material.
- EU-derived legislation (including the Basic Safety Standards Directive) was retained in UK law through the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, ensuring continuity of radiation protection standards.
- The UK is no longer bound by EURATOM Treaty obligations but maintains equivalent standards through domestic legislation and international agreements.
Note: The transition from EURATOM to domestic safeguards was carefully managed to ensure no gap in safeguards coverage. ONR recruited and trained a dedicated safeguards team and developed the necessary IT systems prior to the UK’s departure from EURATOM.
Recent Regulatory Developments (2023—2026)
- The Energy Act 2023 received royal assent in October 2023, making significant amendments to the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 and establishing Great British Nuclear (GBN) as an executive body to deliver the government’s SMR programme. In February 2025, GBN selected Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred technology.
- In March 2026, the government published its response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025, announcing plans to merge ONR with the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator, give ONR new statutory objectives relating to growth, climate and national security, and establish a Commission on Nuclear Regulation to resolve cross-cutting regulatory issues.