Nuclear law has changed from being a law on the use of nuclear energy to a law on the phasing out of this technology. This is the consequence of the politically agreed end to the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Germany.
The commentary on nuclear law published by Prof. Walter Frenz explains the German Atomic Energy Act (Atomgesetz) and the supplementary laws on nuclear phase-out. It therefore provides a complete overview of the phasing out of nuclear power stations right through to nuclear follow-up management, which ends with permanent storage. The commentary also references European law. This is important with regard to issues such as the extent to which, in areas close to borders, nuclear power stations classified as unsafe in other EU Member States can be inspected and even closed.
The nuclear phase-out will take some time yet and it will take decades to decommission the power stations. It was therefore high time for a commentary that supports this process and pulls together the many new laws and regulations to provide an overall picture. Frenz and his co-authors do this in a detailed yet clear manner. An extensive index helps readers searching for information on specific aspects. A wide range of references are also available for readers who want to learn even more about the subject.
Since the last commentary on the Atomic Energy Act was published some 15 years ago, this work by Frenz finally fills the gap created by political changes in the energy sector and the associated legislative changes.
Andreas-Peter Sitte
Frenz (publisher): Atomrecht. Atomgesetz und Ausstiegsgesetze. AtG | EntsorgFondsG | EntsorgÜbG | NachhG | StandAG | TransparenzG (Nuclear Law. Atomic Energy Act and Phase-out Laws. Atomic Energy Act | Disposal Fund Act | Disposal Transfer Act | Act on Follow-up Liability | Site Selection Act | Transparency Act). Published by Prof. Walter Frenz, 2019, 694 pages, bound, ISBN 978-3-8487-3471-9, 168 €.
