World Nuclear Association welcomes Independent Taskforce’s recommendations for streamlined nuclear regulations and urges adoption of a “delivery mindset”
Issued Monday 24 November 2025
World Nuclear Association welcomes and supports the findings in the UK Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025, having contributed to the formal consultation of the Independent Expert Taskforce convened by the UK Government during the development of their report. The report asserts that “safe and efficient delivery of nuclear technology is essential for achieving national security, energy security, and Net Zero targets”, and calls for a “radical reset” of the UK’s nuclear regulatory system, stating that a “comprehensive reform of the regulatory framework is a matter of strategic national importance.”
Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of World Nuclear Association, commenting on the UK Nuclear Regulatory Review, said: “This is a bold step change for the UK nuclear regulatory framework. We applaud the leadership of the UK Government in evaluating pragmatically what needs to be done to accelerate the cost-effective delivery of new nuclear while maintaining the highest standards of safety. World Nuclear Association advocates the streamlining and optimization of national nuclear regulatory systems, the international harmonization of nuclear regulation, and taking a proportionate approach to managing low level radiation, as essential to enable faster project delivery and to facilitate efficient scaling of nuclear energy globally. We are proactively working together with governments, regulators, and the global nuclear industry to implement bold change to a delivery mindset.”
Taskforce Chair John Fingleton said: "Our solutions are radical, but necessary. By simplifying regulation, we can maintain or enhance safety standards while finally delivering nuclear capacity safely, quickly, and affordably."
World Nuclear Association has contributed to knowledge exchanges with national regulators, international agencies, and industry leaders as the need to streamline nuclear regulatory frameworks has become a clear priority to optimize the regulation of existing nuclear power plants and to accelerate new nuclear deployment in a timely and cost-effective manner.
The Association is also actively working with the finance community to develop financing and revenue frameworks that incentivize investment in nuclear, as well as supporting the nuclear industry as it rebuilds supply chains, industrial capabilities, and workforce to deliver nuclear energy at the scale and the speed needed to achieve climate, energy security and development goals. We are pleased that the UK Nuclear Regulatory Review shared our findings and promotes better and faster delivery without compromising safety.
World Nuclear Association looks forward to continuing collaboration with governments, regulators and the global nuclear industry to support capacity building for nuclear supply chain delivery, and streamlining nuclear regulations and radiological protection.
Background Notes to Editors
World Nuclear Association’s work to support efficient and proportionate regulation is advanced through three key working groups: the Cooperation in Reactor Design Evaluation and Licensing (CORDEL) Working Group, which promotes international standardization of reactor designs and harmonization of licensing approaches; the Radiological Protection Working Group, which advocates scientifically based, proportionate radiation protection policies; and the Supply Chain and Long-Term Operation Working Group, which focuses on building a competitive, resilient supply chain to industrialize new nuclear technologies and ensure efficient deployment and long-term operation of reactors.
The UK is signatory to the Declaration to Triple Global Nuclear Energy by 2050, which World Nuclear Association has helped to coordinate. The UK government played an instrumental role at COP30 in advancing progress and securing additional endorsements for the Declaration to Triple. Rwanda and Senegal were the latest countries to join, bringing the total number of signatories to 33.
