International nuclear liability convention enters into force

International nuclear liability convention enters into force
Though conceived and adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency 18 years ago, the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) has now come into effect.  Until now there have been two conventions covering international liability for nuclear damage: the IAEA Vienna Convention, since 1977, and the OECD Paris Convention, since 1968. Both have been amended and also linked, but in 1997 the CSC was adopted as a broader instrument to which all countries can subscribe and which increases the amount of compensation for nuclear damage.  It establishes an international fund, to which Contracting Parties will be expected to contribute in the event of a nuclear accident.

In order to come into force the CSC had to be ratified by countries with at least 400 GW thermal of installed nuclear capacity. Until early this year the only ratifying party with significant nuclear generating capacity was the USA, where the first-tier insurance would be provided under the Price Anderson Act. Now Japan has joined it. Other countries with significant nuclear capacity have signed but not yet ratified the CSC.
WNN 15/4/15.        Liability for nuclear damage 
http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Conventions/supcomp.html