Convention on Nuclear Safety
Following the Chernobyl accident that took place in 1986, a number of countries, including Sweden, took the initiative to establish an international Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS). The aim was to create an international forum for open dialogue on nuclear safety through a recurring review process.
The Convention was adopted in 1994 and applies to land-based civil nuclear power plants. Sweden ratified the Convention in September 1995, and it entered into force the following year.
Reviews and reporting
The parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety are obliged to submit a national report every three years describing how they fulfil the obligations under the Convention. These reports are reviewed by the other parties, and the results are discussed at a review meeting held at the IAEA in Vienna, which serves as the secretariat of the Convention. The first review meeting was held in 1999.
Sweden’s work
Since 1998, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and its predecessors have been commissioned by the Government to coordinate Sweden’s work with the Convention on Nuclear Safety. This includes, among other things, preparing the national report every three years, presenting the commitments and measures of the Government, the Authority and the licensees.
Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety
After the nuclear accident in Fukushima in 2011, a declaration on nuclear safety was developed to further underline the parties’ common understanding of safety principles. In 2015, the contracting parties adopted the so-called Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety. It contains three principles to be followed in order to prevent large radioactive releases and widespread land contamination. The principles provide clarification of the relevant articles of the Convention, and the parties have agreed that fulfilment of the principles should be reflected in the national reports
Upcoming review meeting
Sweden's tenth report under the Convention will be reviewed together with other parties' reports at a review meeting at the IAEA in Vienna on April 13-24, 2026.