Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy (Paris Convention or PC)
Ongoing

The Paris Convention establishes a nuclear liability and compensation regime to compensate victims of a nuclear accident. The PC is open to OECD member countries as of right and non-member countries with the consent of all the contracting parties to the Paris Convention.

  • Adopted: 29 July 1960
    • 1964 Additional Protocol adopted: 28 January 1964
    • 1982 Protocol adopted: 16 November 1982
    • 2004 Protocol adopted: 12 February 2004
  • Opened for signature: 29 July 1960
    • 1964 Additional Protocol opened for signature: 28 January 1964
    • 1982 Protocol opened for signature: 16 November 1982
    • 2004 Protocol opened for signature: 12 February 2004
  • Entered into force: 1 April 1968, along with its 1964 Additional Protocol
    • 1964 Additional Protocol entered into force: 1 April 1968, along with the original 1960 Convention
    • 1982 Protocol entered into force: 7 October 1988
    • 2004 Protocol entered into force: 1 January 2022
  • Parties: 16 (to the Paris Convention and to its 1964, 1982 and 2004 Protocols) (see table below)

More information on the Paris Convention, including the text, is available here.

The current status of ratifications or accessions to the Paris Convention is available here.

The following is a sampling of the articles related to the PC that have been published in the Nuclear Law Bulletin:

  • On Modernising the Paris Convention, by Professor N. Pelzer (NLB 12, p. 46).
  • International Co-operation in Providing Insurance Cover for Nuclear Damage to Third Parties and for Damage to Nuclear Installations, by J. Deprimoz (NLB 32, p. 33).
  • The Concept of Property Damage and Related Issues in Liability Law – Possible Implications for the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy, by C. Holtz (NLB 40, p. 87).
  • A Bridge Between two Conventions on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage: the Joint Protocol relating to the Application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention, by O. Von Busekist (NLB 43, p. 10).
  • Towards a New Regime of State Responsibility for Nuclear Activities, by L. De La Fayette (NLB 50, p. 7).
  • The Reform of the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy and of the Brussels Supplementary Convention, by R. Dussart Desart (NLB 75, p. 7).
  • Revised Paris and Vienna Nuclear Liability Conventions – Challenges for Insurers, by M. Tetley (NLB 77, p. 27).
  • International Pooling of Operators' Funds: An Option to Increase the Amount of Financial Security to Cover Nuclear Liability?, by N. Pelzer (NLB 79, p. 37).
  • Perspective on the Pros and Cons of a Pooling-type Approach to Nuclear Third Party Liability, by S. Carroll (NLB 81, p. 75).
  • The Brussels I Regulation and Liability for Nuclear Damage, by J. Handrlica (NLB 86, p. 29).
  • Deliberations on Compensation and Remediation of Nuclear Damage to the Environment, by N. Pelzer (NLB 86, p. 49).
  • Progress towards a global nuclear liability regime (NLB 93, p. 9).
  • Reflections on the negotiations of the Protocols to amend the Paris and Brussels Supplementary Conventions, by M. Léger (NLB 107, p. 7).
  • The qualification of nuclear substances and nuclear liability, by E. de Boissieu (NLB 108/109, p. 75).
  • Applicability of the existing nuclear liability conventions to different types of small modular reactors currently under development, by V. Roland (NLB 110, p. 7).
  • Nuclear liability in respect of Ukraine’s nuclear installations under Russian military control, by N.L.J.T. Horbach and O.F. Brown (NLB 111, p. 7).
  • The modern nuclear liability regime’s concept of “environmental damage”: How national courts may apply it and what remedies they may provide for such damage, by S. Knopp Pisi (NLB 111, p. 23).
  • Nuclear fusion: Legal Aspects, by W. Tonhauser and K.T. Olajos (NLB 111, p. 57).
  • Liability and compensation for third party damage resulting from a nuclear incident, by J.A. Schwartz (Principles and Practice of International Nuclear Law, p. 409).
  • Insurance of nuclear risks, by S. M. S. Reitsma and M. G. Tetley (Principles and Practice of International Nuclear Law, p. 445).

 

Parties to the Paris Convention on Nuclear Third Party Liability
Belgium* Germany Norway Sweden*
Denmark Greece Portugal Switzerland*
Finland* Italy Slovenia* Türkiye
France* Netherlands* Spain* United Kingdom*
* Country with at least one nuclear power plant in operation.