Ximena Vásquez-Maignan
Biography
Overview
Ximena Vásquez-Maignan has been working in the nuclear sector for twenty years. She specializes in nuclear law, with a particular expertise in nuclear liability. She advises governments and public organizations, investors, operators, equipment and service providers, as well as insurers, in the development and monitoring of nuclear projects worldwide.
After starting her career as an international lawyer at Veolia Water (1997 - 2003), Ximena joined Electricité de France SA (EDF) in Beijing (2003 - 2008) and then Gide Loyrette Nouel (2009 - 2010), before returning to France to the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) as Senior Legal Adviser (2011 - 2014) and then as Head of the Office of Legal Counsel (2015 - 2022).
She is a member of the International Nuclear Law Association (INLA), Women in Nuclear (WiN) and the French Nuclear Society (Société Française d'énergie nucléaire - Sfen). She has served as an expert on numerous working groups, such as those of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Commission, the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and nucleareurope (formerly FORATOM). She is the chair of the WNA End Energy Users Panel and of the INLA Working Group on Nuclear Liability and Insurance (except for North America).
Experience
Acquisition of a minority stake in the company in charge of constructing and operating the first European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) in China;
Drafting and negotiation of technology transfer agreements and technical assistance contracts with several Chinese nuclear power companies;
Assisting one of the world leaders in the areas of construction, equipment and services for nuclear power plants, and for the whole nuclear fuel cycle, in its projects in China and India (e.g. setting up a joint-venture and construction of a nuclear installation); and
Assisting governments in achieving the ratification of the 2004 Protocols to amend the 1960 Paris Convention on Nuclear Third Party Liability and of the 1963 Brussels Convention Supplementary to the Paris Convention.
"Going Nuclear – managing claims and disputes during the construction of new build NPPs" (with Daniel Garton, Andrew McDougall KC, Kirsten Odynski and Emily Eliott)
Contributed to several NEA publications, such as the following recent publications of 2021:
- Principles and Practice of International Nuclear Law (2021) (drafted an article and reviewed those addressing nuclear liability)
- Small Modular Reactors: Challenges and Opportunities (2021) (contributed information on nuclear liability)
- Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident, Ten Years on (2021) (contributed information on nuclear liability)
"Nuclear power in the United Arab Emirates: Legal framework and regulatory co-operation", NEA updates, NEA News 2012/2013 – No. 30.2/31.1
"The Japanese nuclear liability regime in the context of the international nuclear liability principles", in Japan's Compensation System for Nuclear Damage as related to the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident, OECD 2012 – NEA No. 7089
"Fukushima: liability and compensation", NEA News 2011 – No. 29.2
"Nuclear liability in China", Asian Power magazine, February 2010 issue
