Reflections on regulatory oversight of nuclear power plants

A regulatory body acts as a representative for society to ensure that the operation of nuclear facilities do not introduce any undue threats.
Typical regulatory tasks include the definition of safety requirements, the inspections needed to ensure that they are adhered to and the imposing of sanctions if violations are detected.
Regulatory oversight is anchored in national legislation, which is defining objectives and procedures. Regulatory oversight has, in the nuclear power field an important role in ensuring the continued safety of the facilities.
It is, therefore, prudent to ask the question, what requirements should be placed on regulatory oversight to make them effective?
The main conclusion of the paper is that a successful regulatory oversight relies on a thorough understanding of the role of being a regulator in relation to the regulated industry.