Triniti, working with Edinburgh's Castletown Law and Helsinki's Waselius & Wist, has drafted Estonia's Nuclear Energy and Safety Act which, together with its legislative intent and the explanatory memorandum, has recently been handed over to the Estonian Ministry of Climate.
The project was part of a broader mapping of the regulatory and legal framework for the start-up of a nuclear program in the country, under the Nuclear Energy Task Force established by the Government of the Republic of Estonia.
"The use of nuclear technology has a cross-border impact, which means that the whole process, from the extraction of nuclear fuel source material to the disposal of radioactive waste, is subject to strict international regulation and supervision," Triniti reported. "The comparative analysis of the regulatory framework, completed in June, provided an overview of the current nuclear and radiation safety regulations in Estonia, the relevant international law, and the legal provisions necessary for the deployment of nuclear energy, and was acknowledged for its expertise and thoroughness by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)."
"The preparation of the draft law and the mapping of the nuclear regulatory framework were of key importance in the preparation of both the IAEA expert mission and the final comprehensive report of the governmental Nuclear Energy Working Group," Ministry of Climate Advisor Reelika Runneli commented. "An understanding of the content, structure, and international obligations of the legislation governing the use of nuclear energy must be in place before the principal decision is taken. On this basis, we will be able to assess the scope of the work required for the deployment of nuclear energy and, in the event of a positive decision by the Government of the Republic and the Estonian parliament, to move forward more quickly with the preparatory activities."
The Triniti team included Partner Tonis Tamme, Senior Associates Sten Veidebaum and Ain Kalme, and Junior Associate Madlenne Timofejev.
