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Pillar 3

Action 62

Transport radioactive materials consistent with relevant international standards of safety, security and environmental protection, and to continue communication between shipping and coastal States for the purpose of confidence-building and addressing concerns regarding transport safety, security and emergency preparedness.

China

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

China has developed domestic regulatory controls for the safe and secure transport of radioactive material as part of its broader nuclear and radiation safety management system. Its regulatory framework covers nuclear facilities, nuclear material, radioactive waste, transport of radioactive material, radiation sources and nuclear emergency preparedness, and includes licensing, supervision, inspection and emergency-management elements for radioactive-material transport.

China also strengthened nuclear-security capabilities relevant to transport, including nuclear-material control, physical protection and emergency preparedness, while participating in relevant international nuclear-safety and nuclear-security instruments. These measures are broadly consistent with the objective of transporting radioactive material in accordance with international safety, security and environmental-protection standards, including IAEA transport safety standards.

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

China has continued to emphasize nuclear and radiation safety and environmental protection in peaceful-use cooperation, though no major new China-specific transport incident or new transport regime has been identified during the current cycle.

Sources

China Nuclear and Radiation Safety Management System: General Principles, Dec 2018

Statement by the Chinese Delegation on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy at the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference, May 6 2025

Implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the People’s Republic of China, NPT/CONF.2026/33, 17 April 2026

France

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

France is a member of the IAEA Transport Safety Standards Committee (TRANSSC). The French regulator (ASN) is a founding member of the European Association of Competent Authorities (EACA), a club created in 2008 for regulators of the transport of radioative material which currently comprises 22 members. In addition, the National agency for the management of radioactive waste (ANDRA) has a number of cooperative projects with third countries, including commercial activities and multilateral assistance on radiaactive waste management and transportation.

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

France continues to take part in the TRANSSC and the EACA. In 2024, France submitted a report on Significant transport events reported to the ASN1 over the 2021-2024 period. France experts and officials took an active part to the International Conference on the Safe and Secure Transport of Nuclear and Radioactive Material that took place in March 2026.

Sources

The safety of transport of radioactive materials, Contrôle, Autorité de sûreté nucléaire, n°193, March 2012, https://regulation-oversight.asnr.fr/content/download/54133/file/CONTROLE-193-TRM-english-version.pdf

Significant transport events reported to the ASN1 over the 2021-2024 period, Report n° CODEP-DTS-2025-07490, ASNR, 2024, https://www.euraca.eu/media/dfvjaoqd/eventanalysisreport-france-2021-2024.pdf

International Cooperation, ANDRA, https://international.andra.fr/about-andra/international-cooperation

International Conference on the Safe and Secure Transport of Nuclear and Radioactive Material 23 – 27 March 2026 PROGRAMME Organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) IAEA Headquarters Vienna, https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/transport-conference-programme-rev.10-27.03.2026.pdf

Russia

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

Russia has consistently expressed support for the IAEA efforts in reinforcing international cooperation in the areas of safe transportation of nuclear and radioactive material.

In 2016 Russia has adopted new legislation on ‘Safety rules for the transport of radioactive materials’ (NP-053-16) designed to follow IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material.

The legislation has been updated in 2020 to bring it in compliance with the IAEA Safety Standards "Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material" (SSR-6).

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

In 2025 Russia has further amended its national legislation on ‘Safety rules for the transport of radioactive materials’ (NP-053-16) to reflect the revised IAEA Safety Standards "Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material" (SSR-6 Rev.1).

At the 2026 NPT Review Conference Russia reaffirmed that the transport of nuclear material and radioactive substances in Russia are subject to the necessary security measures in its national report.

Sources

Statement by Russia. 51st Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference (Vienna), 17 September 2007

https://viennamission.mid.ru/en/news/27-09-2007_statement-to_5dc227a8aff8263f1d37ec4cfb19099e/

Safety Rules in Transportation of Radioactive Materials. NP-053-16.

https://docs.secnrs.ru/catalog/FNP/NP_053_16/

National report of the Russian Federation, 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (New York), 2 March 2026.

https://docs.un.org/en/NPT/CONF.2026/14

United Kingdom

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

The UK published guidance in 2021 on its regulatory framework for radioactive and civil nuclear safety, confirming that the UK develops specific transport regulations based on international agreements and IAEA safety standards, and that the ONR is the enforcing authority for the civil transport of radioactive material by road, rail and inland waterway.

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

The United Kingdom states that “UK industry, regulators and Civil Nuclear Constabulary continue to be world leaders in the security of transport of nuclear material.”

Nuclear Transport Solutions, the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) specialist transport subsidiary, has partnered with the IAEA in a three-year collaboration to enhance nuclear and radioactive material transport security globally. This collaboration aims to strengthen research, develop training materials and deliver global capacity-building workshops, with a focus on technical support, nuclear security culture, computer security and physical protection.

The Merchant Shipping (Nuclear Ships) Regulations 2022, which came into force in December 2022, established requirements for communication between nuclear ships and coastal states, including a requirement for the master of a nuclear ship to immediately inform the appropriate maritime authorities of the coastal state in whose waters the ship operates in the event of a damaged condition, addressing Action 62’s specific requirement on communication between shipping and coastal states.

Sources

Office for Nuclear Regulation (2021). How we regulate radiological and civil nuclear safety in the UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-we-regulate-radiological-and-civil-nuclear-safety-in-the-uk/how-we-regulate-radiological-and-civil-nuclear-safety-in-the-uk-webpage

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (2026). National report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pursuant to actions 5, 20 and 21 of the action plan of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons for the eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty. <https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69df600a53469bbcdf408e8b/UK-National-Report-11th-Treaty-on-the-Non-Proliferation-of-Nuclear-Weapons-NPT-Review-Conference.pdf>

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (2025). NDA Business Plan 2025 to 2028. June. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-decommissioning-authority-business-plan-2025-to-2028/nuclear-decommissioning-authority-business-plan-2025-to-2028

Department for Transport (2022). The Merchant Shipping (Nuclear Ships) Regulations 2022. SI 2022/1169. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/1169

United States

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

The transportation of radioactive and nuclear materials within the United States is primarily regulated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the U.S. Department of Transportation. These regulations are based upon standards developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

During the review period, the United States has pushed for the universalization of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment, which is the primary legally binding international instrument related to the physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities, including during transport.

In addition, at the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security in 2024, the United States co-sponsored an event to encourage states to improve the security of nuclear materials in transit.

Sources

U.S. National Archives. Code of Federal Regulations: Title 49 CFR Part 171. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-171.

National Nuclear Security Administration. “NNSA calls attention to the security of nuclear materials in transit at International Conference on Nuclear Security.” U.S. Department of Energy, 23 May 2024. https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/articles/nnsa-calls-attention-security-nuclear-materials-transit-international-conference.