Ratification of the UK's Nuclear Third-Party Liability Regime
Published 4 March 2022
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On 1 January 2022 changes to the nuclear third-party liability aspects of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 took effect, following the UK’s ratification of, and the coming into force of, the 2004 Protocols to the Paris Convention on Nuclear Third-Party Liability and the Brussels Supplementary Convention on Nuclear Third-Party Liability.
These changes were implemented domestically via the Nuclear Installations (Liability for Damage) Order 2016.
In the highly unlikely event of a nuclear incident, the changes ensure that an increased amount of money is available for compensation, and that compensation is available through the regime for additional types of damage. Prior to ratification, under Paris-Brussels, operators were liable up to £140 million in the event of an incident. After ratification, operators’ liability limits will increase, over the course of the next few years, to €1.2 billion.