The Committee for Technical and Economic Studies on Nuclear Energy Development and the Fuel Cycle - known as the Nuclear Development Committee (NDC) - was established in 1977 to analyse the resources required for the future deployment of nuclear energy.
The NDC’s mandate aligns with the NEA’s objectives in nuclear development and is adopted on a five-year basis. The Committee meets approximately every eight months to review the activities of its expert groups and to approve its programme of work.
Participation in the NDC is restricted to NEA member countries. However, in recent years, the ad hoc expert groups responsible for implementing much of the programme of work have included specialists from non-member economies in Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia.
The NDC provides governments with authoritative and reliable information on:
Through this work, the Committee supports evidence-based policy analysis and decision-making.
The NEA programme in this field delivers consensus-based expert assessments to support governments in formulating and communicating their nuclear energy policies. At the request of member countries, it undertakes a wide range of studies on the economics and technology of nuclear power and organises workshops to facilitate information exchange and knowledge consolidation.
The programme regularly reviews all cost components of nuclear energy, the broader economic context of deployment, the nuclear resource base, government policies affecting the sector, long-term outlooks, and infrastructure requirements. This work is carried out in close cooperation with the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), other parts of the OECD, and relevant services of the European Commission.
Guided by the Nuclear Development Committee (NDC), which includes the Joint NEA/IAEA Uranium Group as its permanent sub-group, the programme anticipates issues of strategic importance to member governments and provides an effective platform to address emerging energy policy challenges. In doing so, it analyses the full nuclear fuel cycle in the context of evolving electricity markets, technological progress; promotes international cooperation on innovative nuclear energy systems; evaluates nuclear energy’s role in clean energy and its contribution to energy security; assesses nuclear fuel supply and infrastructure; supports members on emerging nuclear and radioactive material issues including medical radioisotopes; and reviews R&D in advanced technologies for power and non-power applications.
Members of the NDC and the Uranium Group are nominated by NEA member governments and include government officials, representatives of public agencies, national nuclear research institutes and industry. These committees meet once or twice annually to review progress under the programme of work, discuss developments in member countries and relevant international organisations, and define future priorities.
Most analytical work is carried out by ad hoc expert groups convened to address specific topics. These groups produce consensus-based reports drawing on the professional expertise of their members. Their studies frequently establish analytical frameworks that are widely used by governments, research institutions and non-governmental organisations, and provide core economic and technical data.
Additional issues are addressed through international workshops and seminars organised by the Secretariat. These meetings may result in published proceedings or in the commissioning of further analytical work by expert groups. The Secretariat also undertakes analytical work directly for the NDC and ensures that results are integrated into related NEA and OECD activities.
A significant portion of NDC-sponsored work is presented at international conferences by Secretariat staff or expert group members. Experts participating in studies, workshops and seminars are nominated by member governments. Representatives from the IAEA, the IEA and the European Commission also participate. When mutually beneficial, experts from non-OECD countries contribute.
France: Mr Patrick Ledermann (Chair)
Japan: Mr Yu Nagai
Poland: Mr Zbigniew Kubacki
United Kingdom: Mr Paul Nevitt
United States: Mr Kyler Turner
Finland: Mr Jukka Hautojärvi
