Conference Agenda

As European countries prepare for the deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes will become an important component of regulatory review, licensing, and siting decisions. Public participation is a legally mandated element of EIA under European and international regulatory frameworks, yet limited evidence exists regarding how participation contributes to the quality, legitimacy, and effectiveness of environmental assessments for emerging nuclear technologies such as SMRs. Insufficiently integrated participation processes may result in unresolved issues, procedural challenges, public pressure, increased regulatory uncertainty, and delays during licensing and deployment.

This study, conducted within the European CATAPULT project, examines the role of participation within the regulatory framework governing SMR EIAs and explores the conditions under which stakeholder input can contribute to robust and defensible licensing decisions. The research combines a systematic review of 47 peer-reviewed studies on participation in nuclear and non-nuclear EIAs with findings from three expert workshops held between October 2025 and February 2026. The workshops brought together specialists in SMR technologies, environmental assessment, nuclear regulation, licensing, and stakeholder engagement to identify regulatory challenges and opportunities associated with participation in future SMR projects.

The analysis was guided by the Fairness and Competence in Citizen Participation framework developed by Renn and Webler (2025) and focused on the contribution of participation to regulatory objectives, including assessment quality, issue identification, transparency, procedural legitimacy, and evidence-based decision-making. Particular attention was given to challenges relevant to SMR deployment, including modular construction and transport, spent fuel and waste management, grid integration, diverse siting contexts, and projects located in regions with limited previous experience of nuclear facilities.

The findings indicate that the effectiveness and legitimacy of participation in SMR-related EIAs depend less on the number of consultation activities than on their timing, design, and integration into assessment and decision-making processes. Poorly designed participation may reinforce perceptions that decisions are predetermined, increasing the likelihood of opposition, polarization, and regulatory challenges. In contrast, early and continuous participation, particularly during scoping phases, can improve issue identification, support consideration of environmental, social, and economic impacts, and strengthen the legitimacy of assessment outcomes. The study highlights the importance of transparent procedures, accessible communication, inclusion of local knowledge, independent facilitation, and clear demonstration of how stakeholder input influences final decisions. The results suggest that EIA should be viewed not only as a regulatory requirement but also as a governance mechanism that supports informed decision-making, social learning, and greater confidence in future SMR projects.

Acknowledgement: This research is conducted in the context of the CATAPULT Project which received funding from the European Partnership for Radiation Protection Research PIANOFORTE Horizon Euratom Research (101061037) under the PIANOFORTE Funding Agreement Ref. ASNR 2025-0018.