ATENA, Atomic Energy Association

The nuclear industry (nuclear operators, manufacturers and other nuclear organizations) established the New Nuclear Power Organization Establishment Preparation Office in April of this year, which studies the establishment of a new organization in which the nuclear industry will participate.
Today, the New Nuclear Power Organization Establishment plenary session was held, at which it was decided that the Atomic Energy Association (ATENA) will be established on July 1 of this year, and decisions were also made about the ATENA's bylaws, officers and other specific details of the new organization.

So that the nuclear industry may voluntarily and continuously implement initiatives for improving safety that go beyond the regulatory framework and make these established practices, it is crucial that the knowledge and resources of the entire nuclear industry be effectively utilized and that effective measures be formulated, while engaging in a continuing dialogue with regulators and others, and that nuclear operators be encouraged to incorporate such effective measures into their actual site operations.

ATENA will provide a framework for the nuclear operators, manufacturers and other nuclear organizations, comprising the nuclear industry, to work collectively to address common issues relating to nuclear safety and carry out the following activities so that, voluntary decisions may be made on safety measures under singular governance, and a high level of expertise, transparency and objectively employed to raise nuclear operators' safety improvement initiatives to an even higher standard.

• Identify issues that the nuclear industry should address with regard to nuclear safety on the basis of the most up-to-date knowledge and other data available both inside and outside Japan.
• Coordinate activities within the nuclear industry to study issues.
• Engage in dialogue with regulators and others to advance the consideration of issues while maintaining a common direction on safety initiatives.
• ATENA policy will be determined by the Steering Committee, on which senior executive level personnel from ATENA members will serve as committee members.
• Results of issue reviews will be compiled in "technical reports" and made available to the public.
• Assess and release to the public the status of nuclear operators' implementation of safety measures.

ATENA will exercise leadership in the nuclear industry and step forward to address issues related to nuclear safety, thereby promoting initiatives by nuclear operators to enhance safety.