3.3. The national, legal and organizational framework for geological disposal has to include the following [1]:
(a) Defining the national policy for the long term management of radioactive waste of different types;
(b) Setting clearly defined legal, technical and financial responsibilities for organizations that are to be involved in the development of geological disposal facilities;
(c) Ensuring the adequacy and security of financial provisions, for example, by requiring the owners of the waste to establish segregated funds;
(d) Defining the overall process for the development, operation and closure of geological disposal facilities, including the legal and regulatory requirements at each step, and the processes for decision making and the involvement of interested parties;
(e) Ensuring that the necessary scientific and technical expertise is available to support site and facility development, regulatory review and other national review functions;
(f) Defining legal, technical and financial responsibilities and, if necessary, providing for any institutional arrangements that are envisaged after closure, including any monitoring and any other arrangements that may be required for ensuring the security of the disposed waste.
It should also be ensured that specific laws and regulations regarding geological disposal are harmonized with the national legal infrastructure. The types of involvement of interested parties in decision making processes concerning geological disposal of radioactive waste will vary depending on national laws, regulations and preferences. Information in regard to interested party (stakeholder) involvement can be found in Ref. [10].