NUCLEAR MATERIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The decision on a question of ownership of nuclear materials and the procedure for its use and disposition are among the key institutions of nuclear law in states that have atomic energy for peaceful and defense purposes. The depth to which this problem has been analyzed determines the efficient and safe use of nuclear material. A state’s fulfillment of its obligations to the world community with respect to the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and of components for their development within the framework of its participation in the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) depends to a large extent on the sophistication of its laws regulating the possession and management of nuclear material. Consideration of this question must include the economic aspects of use of nuclear materials directly connected to a question of the ownership of them. This paper provides information on the legal status of nuclear material and the procedure for its management in the Russian Federation, as well as on problems to be solved and tasks to be accomplished in the near future to regulate nuclear activities in Russia.