An information portal of the Federal government and the Länder

Bilateral commissions

Germany began to engage in transboundary exchange of information on the construction of installations near borders with its neighbours on a bilateral basis at an early stage.

Bilateral agreements on the international exchange of information regarding nuclear installations close to borders are currently in place with eight neighbouring countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland

Joint commissions for regular consultations on nuclear safety, nuclear waste management and radiation protection were established with Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Netherlands and Switzerland. In these commissions, information on nuclear installations close to borders is exchanged, with a particular focus on the following topics:

  • technical or permit-related changes to nuclear installations near borders
  • operational experience, particularly concerning reportable events
  • regulatory development of safety standards, particularly as regards accident management for major incidents
  • general developments in the field of nuclear safety and radiation protection.

In addition to the cooperation with Germany’s neighbours, various agreements are in place with other countries. Bilateral memoranda of understanding on information exchange exist with Japan and Korea, for example, and an agreement on information sharing is in place with China.