3.1.1 IAEA Rules

Given the potential threat of nuclear weapons, but particularly in expectations that atomic energy would be used peacefully, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was set up at the initiative of the United Nations (UN) in 1957. The IAEA has its headquarters in Vienna, and is an independent international organisation with close links to the UN. It sees its task as making it possible to use nuclear energy, subject to the necessary safety requirements, and ensuring technology transfer.

The IAEA lays down safety requirements for building and operating nuclear installa­tions, assisted by international experts, and is constantly updating these requirements. Once agreed with the countries that operate nuclear installations, these are published as IAEA Safety Standards (see [9-12] for example). Individual countries can then use them as they stand or as the basis for further-reaching national rules, such as German nuclear safety standards (see Section 3.4.3).

One particular area that the rules of the IAEA focus on is earthquakes respectively seismic risks. It has published a number of standards, including methods for determin­ing seismic load assumptions, earthquake-proof design and the earthquake safety of existing nuclear installations. The IAEA also provides advice in cases where nuclear power plants are hit by earthquakes. Calling in experts as required, it assesses damage, considers whether plants can continue to operate and in some cases makes new findings on earthquake risks. To improve this work, the International Seismic Safety Centre (ISSC) was founded in Kashiwazaki, Japan, in 2007.