Insights to the UK's impending departure from Euratom: Case study of UK nuclear safeguards and radiation protection in light of Brexit

Abstract

One of the first pieces of legislation addressing the UK's departure from the EU/Euratom to complete its passage through Parliament is the Nuclear Safeguards Act 2018, which will enable the government to establish a domestic nuclear safeguards regime. This was driven by the need to prevent vulnerability to a vital energy system and indicates the short to medium term approach the UK has to its policymaking post-Brexit: dealing with issues immediately impacted, such as ensuring the continued supply of nuclear fuel. The contribution of this paper is the examination of two particular areas under the responsibility of Euratom – nuclear safeguards and radiation protection – that are presented to indicate the wider impact Brexit has in other areas currently the responsibility of the EU, for example, chemical safety. It shows that the UK has significant gaps in responsibility currently undertaken by Euratom (or other EU institutions) that need to be filled by UK bodies. Which bodies will assume these responsibilities and what resources will be available remain open questions. This case study highlights the need for systematic prioritisation by the UK government when filling the void of EU/Euratom institutions.