Since first introducing the modern concept of the “safety case”, the NEA has continued to review international activities related to the development of safety cases for the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. A large volume of documentation exists on the safety case projects that have been undertaken. This sourcebook attempts to document recent activities undertaken by the NEA, the European Commission (EC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) relating to the operational and post-closure phases of geological repositories for radioactive waste that ranges from low-level waste to high-level waste including spent fuel. While some overlap has been inevitable when setting the contexts and constraints of these research projects, work activities have more often complemented each other and enhanced the completeness of the topics being studied.

The specific objectives of the sourcebook are:

• to document recent international activities conducted by the NEA, the EC and the IAEA in developing safety cases to help avoid duplication in work;
• to assist in the dissemination of international publications on developing or integrating information for safety cases; and
• to inform the NEA’s Integration Group for the Safety Case (IGSC) in designing its future programme of work.