Global regime of liability for nuclear damage

Abstract

The idea of writing this work stemmed from the necessity to search for a way out of the current situation in the world connected with the climate change and leading to a catastrophic increase in volumes of CO2 in the atmosphere. Nuclear energy can become one of the key methods of restraining the global warming on the planet. However, “ecological compatibility” in the process of planned operation of nuclear power plants can turn into an ecological disaster in case of a sudden accident. The desire to analyse the current situation in the sphere of liability for nuclear damage, to identify strong and weak elements of established and developing legal relationships at international, European and national levels, and also the degree of the international community's capability to create a global regime of liability for nuclear damage formed the mainspring of writing this work. The basic conclusion of the thesis is the acknowledgement of readiness of countries to work towards creation of the global regime of liability. This is confirmed by the preoccupation which manifests itself in appearance of new effective solutions in the field of uses of peaceful nuclear energy at physical level thanks to the invention of safe reactors, in creation of functional structures for the financial component of liability for nuclear damage and in revision of legislation in an attempt to unify the current system of liability. It should be admitted that the most effective step in this direction will become accession of all countries to one convention regulating liability for nuclear damage instead of ratification of separate conventions and protocols to them.