Europaudvalget 2017
KOM (2017) 0236
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EUROPEAN
COMMISSION
Brussels, 15.5.2017
SWD(2017) 159 final
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
Progress of implementation of Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM
Accompanying the document
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT
on progress of implementation of Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM and an
inventory of radioactive waste and spent fuel present in the Community's territory and
the future prospects
{COM(2017) 236 final}
{SWD(2017) 161 final}
EN
EN
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
2.
2.1.
2.1.1.
2.1.2.
2.1.3.
2.1.4.
2.1.5.
2.1.6.
2.1.7.
2.2.
2.2.1.
2.2.2.
2.2.3.
2.2.4.
2.2.5.
2.2.6.
2.2.7.
3.
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 4
STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................ 4
National policies and frameworks for the safe and responsible management of
spent fuel and radioactive waste ................................................................................... 4
National policies ........................................................................................................... 4
National programmes, timeframes and key performance indicators ............................ 6
National legal and organisational frameworks ........................................................... 12
Regulatory framework and competent regulatory authorities .................................... 15
Shipments within EU and to third countries .............................................................. 23
Self-assessment and international peer reviews ......................................................... 24
Notification and reporting .......................................................................................... 27
Assuring the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management ....................... 27
Licence holder’s responsibilities
................................................................................ 27
Concepts and plans (including post closure) .............................................................. 28
Safety demonstration .................................................................................................. 35
Cost assessment, financing mechanisms and available resources .............................. 36
Expertise and skills ..................................................................................................... 44
Research and development ......................................................................................... 44
Transparency .............................................................................................................. 46
CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 48
2
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACCRONYMS
ARTEMIS
Integrated review service for radioactive waste and
spent fuel management, decommissioning and
remediation programmes
Enviornmental impact assessment
European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group
European Union
Key performance indicators
High level waste
International Atomic Energy Agency
Intermediate level waste
Low level waste
Lifetime extension
International regulatory review service
Member State
Naturally occuring radioactive material
Nuclear power plant
Radioactive waste
Strategic environmental impact assessment
Spent fuel
Underground research laboratory
Very low level waste
EIA
ENSREG
EU
KPI
HLW
IAEA
ILW
LLW
LTO
IRRS
MS
NORM
NPP
RAW
SEA
SF
URL
VLLW
3
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1.
INTRODUCTION
This Staff Working Document presents details on the outcome of the Commission’s assessment of
European Union (EU) Member States’ notifications on the implementation of Council Directive
2011/70/EURATOM on responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste
(further “Directive”)
1
. It is based on the information provided in Member States' national
programmes
2
and national reports
3
on spent fuel and radioactive waste management, as notified to
the Commission by 30 September 2016
4
. It provides background information related to the main
findings, progress, challenges, and trends presented in the first Commission report
COM(2017)236 to the Council and the European Parliament on progress of implementation of
Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom and an inventory of radioactive waste and spent fuel present
in the Community's territory and future prospects.
On the basis of the notified legal measures transposing the Directive, 27 national programmes on
spent fuel and radioactive waste management (5 of which under formal approval by Member
States), and 28 national reports on implementation of the Directive, the Commission notes the
commitment of Member States towards the safe and responsible management of spent fuel and
radioactive waste. This is the first time that Member States report on the implementation of their
national programmes for the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste under the Directive.
The Staff Working Document pays particular attention to national policies and principles, national
frameworks, national programmes and their implementation, competent regulatory authorities,
license holders responsibilities, concepts and plans, safety demonstration, financial resources,
expertise and skills, research, and transparency.
In this first report, the Commission has taken into account information from the national
programmes and national reports, relevant for implementation of the Directive in Member States
in order to present a comprehensive overview to the Council and European Parliament on spent
fuel and radioactive waste management in the EU.
2.
STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION
2.1.
National policies and frameworks for the safe and responsible management of spent
fuel and radioactive waste
2.1.1.
National policies
Development of a national policy for management of spent fuel and radioactive waste is a key
provision for long term and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste.
According to the Directive each Member State shall bear ultimate responsibility for the
management of the spent fuel and radioactive waste generated in it. It is up to the Member States
to take a decision whether they will build a single disposal facility for all radioactive waste or a
number of facilities for different waste types.
Although the Directive requires that the radioactive waste be disposed of in the Member State in
which it was generated, it introduces conditions under which the radioactive waste could be
disposed of in another Member State or in a third country (Article 4(4) of the Directive). The
export of radioactive waste for disposal in another Member State or in a third country is in
practice considered by most Member States without a nuclear programme, or which have one or
1
2
3
4
Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM of 19 July 2011 establishing a Community framework for the
responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste.
Article 13(1) and Article 15(4) of the Directive.
Article 14(1) of the Directive.
The final programme of Hungary and revised programme of Slovenia have not been taken into account and
are under assessment.
4
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several research reactors and relatively small quantities of low level waste (LLW) and
intermediate level waste (ILW).
Article 4 (3) of the Directive defines a number of principles national policies shall be based on:
Keeping the generation of radioactive waste to the minimum;
The interdependencies between all steps in spent fuel and radioactive waste management;
Safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste and passive safety features for long
term safety;
Graded approach in implementation of measures for spent fuel and radioactive waste
management;
The costs for the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste shall be borne by those
who generated those materials;
Evidence-based and documented decision making process to all stages of spent fuel and
radioactive waste management.
The majority of Member States has developed national policies for management of spent fuel and
radioactive waste, although not all Member States' policies cover all types of their radioactive
waste or spent fuel (e.g. research facilities) or all states of their management, in particular long
term management.
The majority of Member States has developed policies either in stand-alone documents, or
reflected in their national frameworks and/or their national programmes. Almost half of the
Member States are considering multiple options for disposal of their spent fuel and/or radioactive
waste.
Operators from a few Member States are currently reprocessing their spent fuel in France, the
United Kingdom and the Russian Federation. In the rest of the Member States spent fuel is
intended to be disposed of in deep geological facilities without reprocessing. This is particularly
valid for spent fuel from new build, and for current spent fuel in some Member States that used to
reprocess it in the past.
The spent fuel from research reactors is intended for shipment to the supplier (USA or the Russian
Federation) in most cases before 2020.
Three Member States (Finland, France and Sweden) have concrete plans for development of
geological disposal facilities for ILW and high level waste (HLW) in the next 15 years. Based on
the Member States' programmes to date, in total fifteen Member States plan to develop geological
disposal facilities in the next 100 years in the EU. Thereby, shared disposal facilities remains an
option
5
for many Member States.
The remaining Member States have either:
Not defined their long-term policy for spent fuel, HLW and ILW disposal (e.g. national
disposal facility, disposal in a third country or shared disposal facilities); or
Considered two options (e.g. (i) national and shared disposal solutions or (ii) reprocessing
and disposal),
and in those cases long term storage in the Member States is foreseen as an interim step.
About half of the Member States consider shared solutions in their programmes. Some define it as
the primary option for disposal of HLW and spent fuel, other Member States take a dual track
5
Recital 33 of the Directive 2011/70/Euratom. Luxembourg has recently concluded an agreement with
Belgium for the management of its radioactive waste.
5
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approach for a few decades until they will make a decision for a national or shared disposal
facility, and a few Member States consider shared disposal as a last and not very realistic option.
Member States with small amounts of institutional waste
6
plan interim storage of radioactive
waste, while a final solution is being decided: disposal on the territory of the said Member State,
export for disposal abroad or a shared disposal solution.
The majority of Member States manage radioactive waste on their territory, while a number of
Member States send radioactive waste for processing abroad. In the latter cases, as per Article
4(2) of the Directive, the Member State of origin remains responsible for the secondary waste as a
by-product generated during the processing.
Most Member States established clearly in their laws and regulations the ultimate responsibility of
the State for management of the spent fuel and radioactive waste generated on its territory,
however in most cases no details on the practical implementation have been provided.
Almost all Member States policies address the principles stated in Article 4(3) of the Directive. In
general, Member States require in their legislation that these principles are included in the
policies. However, information on the practical implementation of the policy principles is not
always presented in the national reports, especially in the reports of non-nuclear countries. Overall
Member States' policies cover better the principles of (i) keeping the generation of radioactive
waste to the minimum and (ii) safety demonstration, than the principles of application of the
graded approach, passive safety features for long term safety and interdependencies between
radioactive waste management steps.
In Member States with defined policies, a few Member States recognize the need for technical
solutions for long term management of special radioactive waste (e.g. exotic waste from
research). These Member States reported that they have ongoing or planned research activities to
address this need.
The majority of Member States with nuclear programmes focus on management of spent fuel and
radioactive waste from large generators, such as nuclear power plants and therefore do not
provide detailed information on management of institutional waste. In particular, for long-term
management (e.g. strategy, technical solutions and cost estimates) of radioactive waste and spent
fuel coming from the research activities (e.g. research reactors, universities).
2.1.2. National programmes, timeframes and key performance indicators
Member States are required to establish national programmes for spent fuel and radioactive waste
management, which define the measures, timeframes and milestones for the national policy in
practice. They were also required to notify these programmes to the Commission before 23
August 2015. All Member States except one have developed and submitted their national
programmes to date, although the programmes of six Member States are expected to be finalised
at the end of 2016 or in 2017, mainly due to ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
procedures. Overall the programmes of more than half of the Member States have been subject of
SEA as presented in Table 1.
The majority of the programmes are recent and adopted in 2015-2016 period, however in two
Member States the programmes date as of 2006 and in one as of 2013. Updated submissions of
the programmes of two cases
7
(as per Article 13(1) of the Directive) are expected by the
Commission.
6
7
Radioactive waste generated outside of the nuclear fuel cycle facilities.
The revised Slovenian programme was adopted in April 2016 and submitted to the Commission at the end of
September 2016. France and Spain are working on the update of their existing programmes.
6
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A few Member States have programmes that address most types of spent fuel and radioactive
waste and the respective concrete plans from generation to disposal (including deep geological
disposal and post-closure measures); although they recognize that there are exotic waste from
research activities and remediation waste for which these Member States still need to take
decisions.
Most Member States with nuclear power plants (NPPs) have developed and approved
programmes that cover all stages from generation to disposal. A few Member States have not yet
decided a long term solution for the management of their radioactive waste or spent fuel. As
mentioned for the national policies, Member States with nuclear programmes provide very
detailed information on the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste generated in the
nuclear industry, and much less on the management of institutional radioactive waste. All
Member States reflected the exclusions of the Directive as per Articles 2(2) and 2(3).
Member States without nuclear programmes and having research reactors address all types of
radioactive waste and spent fuel generated from research reactor operation. The majority of the
national frameworks of these Member States only cover activities up to interim storage and
repatriation of spent fuel to the supplier, and have not yet defined policies or routes for the
disposal of radioactive waste.
Except for one, Member States with no nuclear programmes communicated their national
programmes. Most of these Member States cover all types of radioactive waste and have not yet
defined a policy or a route for their disposal. Although a final solution has not been defined yet,
some Member States have established decision-making milestones to progressively define more
concretely the long term management and disposal of radioactive waste. Most of the Member
States with no nuclear programmes aim at finding a shared disposal solution. Luxembourg has
recently concluded an agreement with Belgium for the management of part of its radioactive
waste.
Table 1. Member States' National Programmes under Directive 2011/70/EURATOM
8
MS
9
BE
Organisation developing the
programme
National Committee created by law with
Ministry of Economy, ONDRAF/NIRAS
and Synatom
Ministry of Energy
Ministry of Industry and Trade
Organisation approving
Federal Ministers of
Energy and Economy
Government
Government
SEA
N
Y
Y
Review and update
Regular update when a
national policy is
adopted or amended
2011 Strategy was
revised in 2015.
2002 Concept updated
in 2014 is under
review. Next review
planned in 2025
Every 3 years
Every 3 years
BG
CZ
DE
FI
Federal Ministry for the Environment,
Nature Conservation, Building and
Nuclear Safety
Ministry on Employment and the
Economy
Federal Cabinet
Ministry on Employment
and the Economy
Y
N
8
9
The information in this table takes into account the data provided by Member States in ENSREG Working
Group 2.
Member States (MS) abbreviations in this report are as follows: Austria (AT), Belgium (BE), Bulgaria (BG),
Czech Republic (CZ), Germany (DE), Finland (FI), France (FR), Hungary (HU), Italy (IT), Lithuania (LT),
Latvia (LV), The Netherlands (NL), Slovenia (SI), Slovakia (SK), Spain (ES), Sweden (SE), Romania (RO)
and the United Kingdom (UK).
7
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FR
Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable
Development and Energy
PURAM and the Ministry of National
Development
Ministry of Environment and Protection
of Land and Sea,
Ministry of Economic Development,
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Energy on the proposal of a
Radioactive
Waste
Management
Organization
Latvian authorities
10
HU
IT
LT
Government, new 2016-
2019 programme expected
to be approved in 2016
Government after SEA
completion
Ministry of Environment
and Protection of Land and
Sea,
Ministry of Economic
Development
Government
No available information
Y
Y
Y
Every 3 years
Every 5 years
Every 3 years
Y
Plann
ed
Every 7 years at least
Concept of Radioactive
Waste
Storage,
developed in 2003,
National programme
under
development
(incl. SEA)
At least every 10 years
2006
programme
revised in 2016
LV
NL
SI
Ministry
of
Infrastructure
and
Environment
Agency
for
Radioactive
Waste
Management (ARAO) and Slovenian
Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA)
11
Parliament
National Assembly
N
N
ES
ENRESA
12
SE
Swedish Radiation Safety Authority
Government upon proposal
by Ministry of Industry,
Energy and Tourism, being
heard the CSN and
relevant Autonomous
Communities
Ministry of the
Environment and Energy
Y
Periodic review, 2006
programme is being
reviewed
N
Regular national and
international reviews;
Follow-up IRRS
mission May in 2016
Every 6 years
SK
RO
UK
The administrative board of the National
Nuclear Fund for decommissioning
nuclear installations and managing spent
nuclear fuel and radioactive waste
(‘NNF’)
Nuclear Agency and for Radioactive
Waste (ANDR)
Department of Energy and Climate
Change
Government
Y
No available information
Department of Energy and
Climate Change
Y
N
Every 5 years
Nuclear
Decommissioning
Authority strategy
review every 5 years
10
11
12
The Ministry of Environment issued the 2003 Concept of Radioactive Waste Storage after approval by the
Cabinet.
ARAO provides the technical basis for the revision of the Programme and based on this, SNSA prepares a
draft National Programme which is adopted by National Assembly.
The legal basis requires ENRESA to submit to the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism every 4 years,
or whenever so required by this Ministry, a draft update of the programme.
8
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AT
Government of the Republic of Austria
Danish Radiation Protection Authority at
the Danish Health and Medicines
Authority (SST/SIS)
Greek Atomic Energy Commission
(EEAE)
Government
Ministry of Health
Y
N
Regular update
Not defined in the
national programme
At least once every 3
years and updated by
EEAE, upon
agreement of the
National Committee
for Radioactive Waste
Management
(EEDRA)
Every 4 years
COMRSIN*
Frequency not defined
Krško programme
every 5 years at least
Every 10 years at least
by RICS
DK
EL
Minister responsible for
the EEAE, the Minister for
Education, Research and
Religious Affairs
No
data
PL
PT
HR
Ministry of Economy
Regulatory Commission for the Safety of
Nuclear Installations (COMRSIN)
State Office for Radiological and
Nuclear Safety (SORNS)
Radiation Inspection and Control Service
(RICS), Department of Labour
Inspection (DLI),
Minister of Labour, Welfare and Social
Insurance (MLWSI)
Ministry of the Environment,
Environmental Board, Radiation
Protection Bureau, Radiation Monitoring
Bureau
Government Department of
Environment, Community and Local
Government (DECLG)
Minister for Environmental Protection
and Regional Development*
Radioprotection Division (DRP) within
the Department of HEalth
Radiation Protection Board
Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers
Ministry of Economy with
the prior approval by the
Croatian Parliament
MLWSI
Y
Y
Y
CY
N
EE
Minister of the
Environment
DECLG
Council of Ministers*
No available information
Radiation Protection Board
Y
13
Regular update at least
every 4 years
Update and revision as
necessary
2002 Concept,
Programme in
preparation
Next review in 2018
As necessary
IE
N
Y
No
data
Under
screen
ing
LV
LU
MT
* Information from notifications to the Commission other than the national programme
A third of all EU Member States addressed waste with naturally occurring radioactive material
(NORM) in their programmes, whereas the rest either explicitly exclude it from the scope of their
national programmes, or do not mention it.
The overall timescale of Member States' programmes for spent fuel and radioactive waste
management vary signifficantly due to the scope and scale of the current nuclear programmes in
each Member State. The programmes include measures from a few years up to after 2300, which
imposes challenges for the majority Member States (in particular the ones with nuclear
programme) to ensure long term safety measures for several decades to centuries in the future.
13
The programme states that SEA is available.
9
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Clearly defined detailed milestones, timeframes and decision making points are defined by about
a third of Member States (incl. shutdown and planned decommissioning of nuclear power plants
that will also generate radioactive waste (see Table 2).
Table 2 Schedule for Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants in EU Member States
14
MS
Reactors/Units
Kozloduy unit 1
Kozloduy unit 2
BG
Kozloduy unit 3
Kozloduy unit 4
Kozloduy unit 5
Kozloduy unit 6
Dukovany 1-4
Temelin units 1-2
CZ
Dukovany unit 5
Temelin unit 3
Paks units 1-4
HU
Paks units 5-6
Bohunice V1 (units
1-2)
Bohunice V2 (units
1-2)
Bohunice A1
Bohunice unit 3
Mochovce units 1-2
Operation
1974
1975
1980
1982
1987
1991
1978-1987*
2000-2002*
planned
planned
1982-1987
2025-2026
1978*
1980*
1984*
1985*
1972*
Planned (2029)
1998*
1999*
Shutdown
2002
2002
2006
2006
2017 (2030)
2021 (2030)
2038 - 2047
2060-2062
no available
data
no available
data
2032-2037
Decommission-
ing
ongoing
ongoing
ongoing
ongoing
Planned LTO by
2030
Planned LTO by
2030
Planned LTO
60 years
operation
60 years
operation
60 years
operation
Considering 20
years LTO
Planned
2006
2008
2024 or 2044
2025 or 2045
1979
2089
2028 or 2046
2029 or 2066
2046-2063 (40
years of
operation)
2066-2083 (60
years of
operation)
2062-2079 (40
years of
operation)
2082-2099 (60
years of
operation)
2080-2090
2080-2090
2075 - 2085
2030-2035
2025
2031-2048 (40
years operation)
2051-2068 (60
years operation)
2033
Comments
Available data
until 2030
Possible LTO to
60 years
Possible LTO to
60 years
Mochovce units 3-4
SK
Under
construction
(2021)
2062
2082
Possible LTOto
60 years
Olkiluoto unit 1
Olkiluoto unit 2
Olkiluoto unit 3
FI
14
1979
1982
Under
construction
1977
2049*
2042*
2078*
2027*
Loviisa unit 1
At the time of reporting to the Commission (2015).
10
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Loviisa unit 2
Hanhikivi
Doel unit 1
1981
Planned
1975
2030*
2025
2030-2035
2085-2100
End of
operation dates
by Phase-out
Law of
31/01/2003
modified by the
law of
28/06/2015.
End of
operation dates
as established
by the Phase-out
Law of
31/01/2003
modified by the
law of
28/06/2015.
Doel unit 2
Doel unit 3
1975
1982
2025
2022
Doel unit 4
Thiange unit 1
Thiange unit 2
BE
DE
Thiange unit 3
8 reactors shutdown
9 reactors in
operation
58 reactors and 9
shutdown reactors
and EPR Flamanville
Caorso
Enrico Fermi
Garigliano
IT
NL
SI
Latina
Dodewaard
Borssele
Krško
2 reactors undergoing
decommissioning (
José Cabrera and
Vandellos I)
1 reactor shutdown
(Santa María de
Garoña)
ES*
7 operating reactors*
1985
1975
1983
1985
1975-1984
1984-1989
1977
–
1999
(operating fleet)
1978
1964
1964
1963
1968*
1973*
1983
1969-1972
2025
2025
2023
2025
2011-2015
2015 - 2022
Between 2027
and 2078
After 2030
1990
1990
1982
1987
1997*
2033
2023
2023
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
After 2045
Operating
lifetime of 50
years
FR
2006 and 1989
2012
1971
1981-1988
2021-2027
2040 - 2045
Assuming 40
years operation
Early shutdown
of Forsmark 1-
2, Ringhals 1-2
could be
decided between
2018-2020
10 operating reactors
2 shutdown
SE
1972-1985
After 2040 -
2050
2020 and 2023
11
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UK
*
16 (14 AGR, 1 PWR
and 1 MAGNOX)
15
reactors in operation
29 reactors shutdown
Ignalina unit 1
Ignalina unit 2
1976-1989
2023-2035 (or
2055)
2023-2083
Possible PWR
LTO to 60 years
1983
1987
2004
2009
2026
2037
planned
2084
Ongoing until
2038
Ongoing until
2038
2063
2055
immediate
dismantling
Possible LTO to
2046
Possible LTO to
2057
LT
Cernavoda unit 1
Cernavoda unit 2
RO
Cernavoda units 3-4
PL
New build
1996
2007
Planned
2019-2020
2024
*Information from other sources to the Commission than the national programmes/reports
In a significant number of cases long term milestones or schedule have not been clearly presented
for the whole national programme for spent fuel and radioactive waste management, decision
making points are not defined or are postponed for the far future or the presented schedules are
outdated. A number of Member States did not present schedules and timeframes for their national
programmes or the one notified are very short term or not clearly fixed.
The commissioning of deep geological facilities is focused in two main periods
–
2022-2030 and
2040-2065. Although part of Member States considers shared disposal solutions, there is no
decision or site selected for demonstration that this option is feasible.
The majority of Member States have defined in their legal framework the responsibilities for
review, update and implementation of the national programmes. A number of Member States still
need to define or/present specific arrangements, deadlines and details that are not always detailed
in the national programmes/reports (see Table 1).
Member States have to allocate responsibilities for the implementation of their national
programmes and the key performance indicators to monitor progress towards implementation (see
Article 12(1)g of the Directive). Most of Member States have reported the organisations
responsible for implementation of the national programmes, as well as its monitoring and the
main milestones to be followed. However, majority of Member States have not clearly defined in
their programmes the key performance indicators that they apply.
2.1.3.
National legal and organisational frameworks
Member States shall establish and maintain a national legislative, regulatory and organisational
framework
(‘national framework’) for spent fuel and radioactive waste management that allocates
responsibility and provides for coordination between relevant competent bodies (Article 5(1) of
the Directive). Member States were required to transpose the Directive by 23 August 2013. This
section of the report presents the status of Member States' legal and organizational frameworks,
while the regulatory framework is detailed in Section 2.1.4 below.
15
At the time of reporting to the Commission, the Magnox reactor was planned for shutdown in 2015 and the
Sizewell/B (PWR) - in 2055. Currently there are 15 operating nuclear power reactors in the UK. In addition,
new reactors are planned to be built.
12
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All Member States have communicated to the Commission their transposition measures and
declared full transposition and the Commission is assessing the latest notified legal measures with
the view to finalise the conformity assessment.
All Member States have presented their national framework with different levels of detail
provided in the national reports. Member States have listed the legal arrangements and the
provisions for the national framework, however only in some cases the national reports have
provided details on how those legal provisions are implemented in practice.
The national frameworks in the Member States' national reports cover all types of radioactive
waste and spent fuel in the scope of the respective national programmes, although only a few
Member States provide details on ILW and HLW disposal and the post-closure stage. Also, a few
Member States do not plan institutional control after closure of deep geological facilities.
Most Member States require the update and improvement of the national framework as per Article
5(2) of the Directive, and establish the responsibilities for that. About half of Member States have
provided information on how in practice the development/review of the national framework takes
into account operating experience, insights from the decision-making process, etc. The rest either
refer to the requirements established by law or regulations, without providing additional details or
do not provide such information.
All Member States have in place arrangements for safety and licensing systems with various level
of complexity to ensure safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste that correspond to the existing
and estimated inventories of spent fuel and radioactive waste in the country.
All Member States without nuclear programmes have implemented a national framework for the
management of radioactive waste. The national framework contains legal and regulatory
provisions mainly for predisposal waste management, which are commensurate with the type and
amount of waste that they generate.
Most Member States have established dedicated radioactive waste management organisations that
operate to date. All nuclear power Member States have such organisations. The majority of these
organisations are public ones (see Table 3), while a few are established by the nuclear power plant
operators. In both cases, funding of spent fuel and radioactive waste management activities is
based on the principle that the generators of spent fuel and radioactive waste cover the costs
associated with the management of this material. In addition to the responsibilities for spent fuel
and radioactive waste management, in a number of cases, these organisations deal also with
decommissioning. In some cases, it is foreseen that the responsibilities for the disposal facilities
will be transferred from the radioactive waste management organisations to the State after
disposal facility's closure.
13
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1756377_0014.png
Table 3. Radioactive waste management organisations in the EU
MS
BE
Radioactive waste
management
organisation
Organisme national des
déchets radioactifs
et des matières fissiles
enrichies/Nationale
instelling voor radioactief
afval
en verrijkte splijtstoffen
(ONDRAF/NIRAS)
State Enterprise
Radioactive Waste (SE
RAW)
Radioactive Waste
Repository Authority
(SURAO)
POSIVA
National agency for
management of
radioactive waste
(ANDRA)
German Service Company
for the Construction and
Operation of Waste
Repositories (DBE)
Public Limited Company
for Radioactive Waste
Management (PURAM)
Company for management
of nuclear power plants
(SOGIN)
State Enterprise
Radioactive Waste
Management Agency
(RATA)
The Central Organisation
For Radioactive Waste
(COVRA)
Public/
private
Public
Responsibilities
Managing radioactive waste from all sources, managing spent
fuel when declared as radioactive waste, incl. disposal.
BG
CZ
Public
Public
Radioactive waste and spent fuel management; and de-
commissioning.
Operation of all low and intermediate level waste repositories;
Monitoring of the now closed Hostim repository,
Development of deep geological repository for disposal of
HLW and spent fuel.
Radioactive waste management facilities - site selection,
design, construction, commissioning, operation, rehabilitation
and reconstruction, decommissioning and closure/post closure.
Long-term management of radioactive waste.
FI
FR
Private
16
Public
DE
Public
Construction and operation of radioactive waste repositories.
HU
IT
Public
Public
LT
Public
Management of all types of radioactive waste,
decommissioning of nuclear facilities, as well as related to
research and development.
Decommissioning of nuclear installations and radioactive
waste management including waste produced by industrial,
research and nuclear medicine activities; siting, design and
construction of a national repository.
Management and disposal of radioactive waste generated by
the Ignalina nuclear power plant. Construction and operation
of the repositories for radioactive waste.
Implementing the Dutch policy with regard to radioactive
waste in the Netherlands. Treatment and storage of all
radioactive waste and spent fuel.
NL
Public
RO
Nuclear Agency for
Radioactive Waste
(ANDR)
Nuclear and
Decommissioning
Company (JAVYS)
Public
SK
Public
Promotion, development and monitoring of the nuclear
activities. Coordination of the safe management of radioactive
waste and spent nuclear fuel, including final disposal, at
national level.
Management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.
Decommissioning of the nuclear power plants.
16
Owned by the NPP operators Teollisuuden Voima Oyj and Fortum Power & Heat Oy.
14
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1756377_0015.png
SI
Agency for Radioactive
Waste (ARAO)
Public
Collecting, transporting, treating, storing and disposing of low
and intermediate level waste and for the disposal of HLW.
Management of the closed uranium mine.
ES
SE
National radioactive waste
complany (ENRESA)
Swedish Nuclear Fuel and
Waste Management
(SKB)
Nuclear Decommissioning
Authority (NDA)
Radioactive Waste
Management Centre
Public
17
Private
18
UK
HR
Public
Public
AT
EL
Nuclear Engineering
Seibersdorf GmbH (NES)
National Center for
Scientific Research
(NCSR) "Demokritos"
Public/
private
Public
Management of radioactive waste and spent fuel.
Decommissioning nuclear plants.
Planning and construction of all facilities required for the
management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes as
well as for research and development programmes necessary
for the provision of such facilities.
Implementing Government policy on the long-term
management of nuclear waste, including the decommissioning
and clean-up of the civil public sector nuclear sites.
Collecting, safeguarding and increasing the value of funds to
finance the development, review and implementation of the
Programme for the Decommissioning of the Krško NPP.
Disposal of radioactive waste and spent fuel, as well as
coordinating the preparation and drafting of the National
Programme.
Collecting, processing, conditioning and storing radioactive
waste, decontaminating installations and laboratories.
Interim storage facility of radioactive waste at the Institute of
Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy &
Safety (INRSTES) of the National Center for Scientific
Research "Demokritos"). A National Radioactive Waste
Management Committee is planned to be established.
Decommissioning and receiving, handling and storage of
radioactive waste. Also licensed operator for all radioactive
waste.
Collection, segregation, and treatment, conditioning and
interim storage/final disposal of all radioactive waste arising
in the country. Operating the National Radioactive Waste
Repository in Rozan.
Collecting, segregating, conditioning and storing solid and
liquid radioactive waste.
Former Paldiski nuclear site and Tammiku radioactive waste
repository management and decontamination.
Processing, reprocessing, storage for an extended period of
time (long-term storage) and disposal of radioactive waste.
DK
PL
Danish Decommissioning
(DD)
Radioactive Waste
Management Plant
(RWMP)
Higher Technical Institute
(ITN)
A.L.A.R.A. AS
Latvian Environment,
Geology and Meteorology
Centre (LVGMC)
Public
Public
PT
EE
LV
Public
Public
Public
2.1.4.
Regulatory framework and competent regulatory authorities
Member States are required to establish and maintain a competent regulatory authority in the field
of safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management. This authority shall be independent and
be given the legal powers, as well as human and financial resources necessary to fulfil its
obligations (Article 6 of the Directive).
To date all EU Member States have established national competent authorities with defined
responsibilities and legal powers in the area of spent fuel and radioactive waste management (see
Table 4). In general, the regulatory authorities also cover nuclear and radiation safety. The
majority of Member States have only one competent authority, while in others; two or more
17
18
State-owned company CIEMAT (80%) and SEPI (20%).
Reactors licensees.
15
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organisations have competence and regulatory functions in different aspects of spent fuel and
radioactive waste management. In these cases, one of the authorities is competent for regulation
and oversight of the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste originating from nuclear
facilities, while another one is responsible for the safe management of institutional radioactive
waste.
In other Member States, there are regional regulatory authorities (such is the case of the United
Kingdom and Germany), along with federal or national ones. As a general trend, Member States
with nuclear programmes have provided more information and details on the authority that
regulates nuclear energy than on the ones responsible for the regulation of the institutional waste.
All Member States declare the independence of their regulatory authorities from any other
organisation or body (i) promoting or using nuclear energy or (ii) managing spent fuel and
radioactive waste. In most cases, functional or administrative independency is established in the
relevant national law. The regulatory authority is in some cases embedded in a Ministry, and in
others it is an autonomous body which reports to the national Parliament, the Council of
Ministries, or the Government.
In general terms, regulatory authorities from countries without nuclear power programmes are
usually small, corresponding to the radioactive waste inventories to be managed, and often form
part of the administrative structure of the State. In one particular case, the national regulatory
authority does not have staff, or budget, and carries out its regulatory function through staff of
other governmental bodies. The regulatory authorities of two EU Member States (Italy and
Portugal) are being reorganised with the objective of reinforcing their functional independence,
while the regulatory body of the Netherlands has been reorganised recently.
In addition to the functional and administrative independence, technical and financial capacity are
also necessary elements for an effectively independent regulatory authority capable of
implementing its responsibilities within the licensing system put in place for the safety of
radioactive waste and spent fuel. The national reports of most of the Member States have
provided information on measures for ensuring technical and financial independency. Examples
of such measures include, for instance, ensuring adequate human resources and sufficient funding
by law, establishing fees to the licensees, negotiation of the budget, etc. Over half of the Member
States have informed on the current status of staff and budget (see Table 4). A few Member States
provided information on how the management of the regulatory authority is appointed or
dismissed, to show that management is not subject to undue influence in its regulatory mission.
Member States (and in particular those without nuclear energy programmes) face challenges with
respect to maintaining adequate human resources in the long term. A few Member States have
clearly indicated the available limited budget and/or human resources to perform the regulatory
functions of the national competent authorities.
A few Member States have reported that their regulatory authorities were responsible for storage
of disused sources.
16
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Table 4. National Competent Authorities for spent fuel and radioactive waste management
19
MS
AT
Competent
authority
Federal Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry,
Environment and Water
Management
(BMLFUW)
Federal Agency for
Nuclear Control
(FANC)
Nuclear Regulatory
Agency of the Republic
of Bulgaria (BNRA)
State Office for
Radiological and
Nuclear Safety
(SORNS)
Responsibilities for spent fuel and
radioactive waste
BMLFUW is the licensing and regulatory
authority for the construction and
operation of radioactive waste
management facilities.
With regard to the safety of disposal
facilities, the competent regulatory
authority, i.e. the AFCN/FANC, retains all
of its prerogatives
BNRA has been assigned responsibility for
all regulatory matters concerning
radioactive waste and spent fuel
management facilities
- Establishes the legislative framework in
the area of radiological, nuclear and
physical safety;
- Coordinates the drafting of the Strategy;
- Regulates spent fuel and radioactive
waste management;
- Coordinates the drafting of the National
programme for implementation of the
Strategy;
- Participates in administrative procedures
for obtaining permits and authorisations
for management facilities included under
the Strategy;
- Reporting and public information on the
management of radioactive waste and
spent fuel
The MLWSI, acting through the
RICS/DLI, is the regulatory authority for
radiation protection and nuclear safety and
has the responsibility for the
administration of the relevant legislation
and authorisation of all sources and
practices involving risks of exposure to
ionising radiation or release of radioactive
materials in the environment.
State administration and supervision of the
utilization of nuclear energy and ionizing
radiation and in the field of radiation
protection
As the radiation protection authority,
performs duties relating to the use, etc. of
radioactive substances, including the
management and disposal of radioactive
waste
International cooperation in the area of
nuclear safety
Reporting to
Federal
Government
Staff
(year)
Data not
available
BE
Federal Minister
of the Interior
Council of
Ministers
The Government
of the Republic of
Croatia
Data not
available
103
(2015)
22
(2015)
BG
HR
CY
Radiation Inspection and
Control Service
–
Department of Labour
Inspection (RICS/DLI)
Ministry of
Labour, Welfare
and Social
Insurance
(MLWSI)
5
(2015)
CZ
State Office for Nuclear
Safety (SUJB)
National Institute of
Radiation Protection
Prime Minister
209
(2014)
No data
DK
Danish Health
and Medicines
Authority
Nuclear Division
of the Danish
Emergency
Management
Agency
Danish Emergency
Management Agency
No data
19
The data does not include staff of separate technical support organisations that exist in some Member States.
17
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EE
Environmental Board
FI
Radiation and Nuclear
Safety Authority
(STUK)
FR
The Parliament, the
Government and
Nuclear Safety
Authority (ASN)
(i) Reviews the applications of the
radiation practice licences and the
qualified expert licences, provides services
ensuring radiation safety; (ii) advises the
Environmental Inspectorate, which carries
out monitoring and (iii) coordinates and
controls the use of the environment and
natural resources by applying the coercive
measures of the state in the cases
determined by law.
STUK is responsible for controlling that
the Radiation Act and other regulations
based on the Act are followed. STUK
grants safety licences for the use of
radiation. The regulatory rights of STUK
are described in the Radiation Act
Regulates, authorises, controls and helps
the public authorities to manage
emergencies, participate in the public
information
Ministry of the
Environment
17
(2014)
DE
20
The Federal Office for
Radiation Protection
(BfS)
Federal Office for the
Regulation of Nuclear
Waste Management
(BfE)
BMUB, the Directorate-
General Reactor Safety
(RS)
- Approval of interim storage facilities for
nuclear fuels;
- Planning, construction, operation and
decommissioning of repositories;
- Repository surveillance
- Planning approval and licensing of
repositories;
- Granting of licences in accordance with
mining law;
- Mining supervision pursuant to Sections
69 to 74 of the Federal Mining Act;
- Granting of permits in accordance with
water legislation
- Competent authority for nuclear safety
and radiation protection;
- Legal and technical supervision of the
Federal Office for Radiation Protection
and of the Federal Office for the
Regulation of Nuclear Waste
Management;
- Responsible for the obligations under
Ministry of
Employment and
the Economy
Ministry of Social
Affairs and
Health
The ASN submits
regular reports on
its activities to
Parliament and in
particular to the
Parliamentary
Office for the
Evaluation of
Scientific and
Technological
Choices
(OPECST) and
parliamentary
committees
Federal Ministry
for the
Environment,
Nature
Conservation,
Building and
Nuclear Safety
(BMUB)
342
(2014)
470
(2013)
188
(2014
21
)
planned
36
22
(2014)
20
21
22
Germany as a federal state, the “regulatory body” and consists of authorities of the Federation and the
Länder
–
the regulatory structure comprised of BMUB, BfE, BfS and the Land Ministry.
The Federal Office
of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) is responsible for the import and export of radioactive materials.
Department of Safety of Nuclear Waste Management and its six divisions. It is supported by 30 independent
experts.
Directorate RS III (Nuclear Fuel Cycle).
18
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16 Länder
EL
Greek Atomic Energy
Commission (EEAE)
HU
Hungarian Atomic
Energy Authority
(HAEA)
National Public Health
and Medical Officer
Service, Office of the
Chief Medical Officer
(NPHMOS-OCMO)
Environmental
Protection Agency
(EPA)
IE
the Joint Convention on the Safety of
Spent Fuel Management and on the
Safety of Radioactive Waste
Management
Land Ministry is responsible for licensing
and supervision of spent fuel treatment
facilities
Control, regulation and supervision in the
fields of nuclear energy, nuclear
technology, radiological, nuclear safety
and radiation protection.
According to its statutory role EEAE has
the legal power to exercise the regulatory
control of facilities and activities in the
fields of radiation protection and
radiation and nuclear safety. As described
in detail in Article 43, par. 4 of the new
Law 4310/2014 the competencies (legal
powers) of EEAE include:
- development of safety procedures,
regulations and legislation;
- licensing and inspection procedures;
- environmental radioactivity monitoring;
- radiological surveillance;
- emergency preparedness;
- research in the fields of its competence;
- public information;
- international cooperation and national
representations;
- education and training;
- personal dosimetry and calibration
services
The supervisory and administrative
regulatory competence relating to nuclear
safety and physical protection regarding
nuclear installations, radioactive waste
disposal facilities as well as nuclear and
radioactive materials lies with the HAEA
in Hungary. The Atomic Energy Act
authorises the HAEA to perform is
supervisory activity.
The national professional and regulatory
body is the granting authority for
regulations on radiation protection and the
radiohygiene units of priority facilities,
also participating in the nuclear safety
licensing process as the competent
authority for radiohygiene health issues.
Regulates radioactive material including
practices involving radioactive waste, and
radiation sources through a licensing
system
Federal
government
Minister of
Education,
Research and
Religious Affairs
270
23
(2014)
74
(2014)*
The Minister
appointed by the
Prime Minister,
currently by the
Minister for
National
Development.
Minister for
Health
80
(2014)
49
(2015)
Department of
Environment,
Community and
Local
Government
(DECLG)
34 in the
Office for
Radiologic
al
Protection
(2015)
23
About 120 staff working on radioactive waste management and 150 staff working on support the nuclear
authorities of the Länder either at subordinate authorities or as authorised experts.
19
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1756377_0020.png
IT
National Inspectorate for
Nuclear Safety and
Radiation Protection
(ISIN)
–
new competent
regulatory authority
established by the
Legislative Decree n°
45/2014
Nuclear, Technological
and Industrial Risk
Department of Institute
for Environmental
Protection and Research
(ISPRA)
–
until ISIN
becomes operational
Radiation Safety Centre
of the State
Environmental Service
(SES RSC)
The assessment and the inspection
activities on nuclear installations, as well
as for approving detailed designs or
activities related to the construction of
nuclear facilities, which are part of the
general construction licence granted by the
Minister of Economic Development
Ministry of
Economic
Development
No
available
data
LV
LT
State Nuclear Power
Safety Inspectorate
(VATESI)
LU
Radiation Protection
Centre (RPC)
Radiation Protection
Division (RDP)
The SES RSC ensures national supervision
and control in the area of radiation and
nuclear safety, and also organises and
coordinates training of the personnel
whose work is related to radiation safety in
order to increase the level of radiation
safety in the country.
Regulation and supervision of nuclear
safety, radiation safety of nuclear energy
activities involving sources of ionizing
radiation, physical security of nuclear
installations, nuclear materials and/or
nuclear fuel cycle materials and
accountancy and control of nuclear
materials as well as supervision of
requirements arising from international
nuclear weapon non-proliferation
obligations of Republic of Lithuania.
Regulation of radiation protection
The RPD is in charge of a) preparing the
technical aspects of draft laws, regulations
and orders b) lays down the conditions for
licences. It has also published several
guidelines.
The functions of the RPB cover all waste
activities (and the facilities when they are
commissioned).
Ministry of
Environmental
Protection and
Regional
Development
The Cabinet of
Government and
the President
No
available
data
75
(2015)
Ministry of
Health
Minister for
Health
59
(2015)
9
(2015)
MT
Radiation Protection
Board (RPB)
NL
Authority for Nuclear
Safety and Radiation
Protection (ANVS)
- preparing legislation and regulations and
policy (including the national
programme);
- awarding licences and the accompanying
review & assessment and evaluation
tasks;
- supervision and enforcement; informing
interested parties and the public;
participating in activities of international
organisations;
- maintaining relationships with
comparable foreign authorities and
Ministry of
Social Dialogue,
Consumer Affairs
and Civil
Liberties
(MSDC)
Ministry of
Infrastructure and
the Environment
(I&M)
No
available
data
122
(2016)
20
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1756377_0021.png
PL
National Atomic Energy
Agency (NAEA)
national and
international organisations;
- supporting national organisations with
the provision of knowledge;
- having research in support of the
implementation of its tasks.
Tasks that involve ensuring national
nuclear safety and radiological protection,
in particular:
- supervision over activities;
- promulgation of technical and
organisational recommendations
concerning nuclear safety and radiological
protection;
- performing the tasks involving
the assessment of national radiation
situation in normal conditions
and in radiation emergency situations,
and the transmission of relevant
information to appropriate authorities and
to the general public;
- performing the tasks resulting from
the obligations of the Republic of Poland
- activities involving public
communication, education
and popularisation;
- cooperation with governmental and local
administration authorities in matters
involving nuclear safety and radiological
protection;
- preparing opinions;
- cooperation with appropriate foreign
national entities and international
organisations;
- developing the drafts of legal acts;
- giving opinions on the draft legal acts
developed by authorised bodies
- Licensing, evaluating, monitoring and
inspecting facilities and activities
relating to the management of spent fuel
and radioactive waste
(encompassing all phases, from initial
choice of siting to
decommissioning)
Minister
competent for
environmental
matters
No
available
data
PT
Regulatory Commission
for the Safety of Nuclear
Installations
(COMRSIN)
RO
National Commission for
Nuclear Activities
Control (CNCAN)
Nuclear Regulatory
Authority of the Slovak
Republic (ÚJD SR)
Regulation, licensing, and control of
nuclear activities
SK
State regulatory activities in the field of
nuclear safety of nuclear installations,
including management of radioactive
waste, spent fuel and other parts of the fuel
COMRSIN is
governed by three
Commissioners,
appointed by the
Prime Minister
for
five year
renewable terms,
chosen on the
basis of academic,
scientific and
technical merit.
Prime Minister,
through the
General
Secretariat of the
Government
The Government
and subsequently
to the National
Council
4
(2015)
No
available
data
108 (2014)
21
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SI
Slovenian Nuclear Safety
Administration (SNSA)
Slovenian Radiation
Protection
Administration (SRPA)
cycle, as well as transport and
management of nuclear materials including
their control and record keeping system. It
is responsible for the assessment of goals
of nuclear energy programme and of
quality of the classified equipment, as well
as for commitments of the Slovak
Republic under international agreements
and treaties in the said field.
Nuclear safety of facilities and the safety
of industrial radiation sources
Radiation protection in medicine and
veterinary practice, medical surveillance of
exposed workers, surveillance of
workplaces, dosimetry and dose registers
and education in the area of radiation
protection
Reporting on nuclear safety and
radiological protection and authorisations
to nuclear and radioactive installations as
well as carrying out inspection and control
and issuing Instructions, which take the
form of mandatory rules
SSM supervises the Swedish Nuclear Fuel
and Waste Management Co (SKB), the
power plant operators and other licensees
of nuclear activities in fulfilling their
responsibilities for safe operation of
facilities and transports as well as in
planning for decommissioning and
disposal.
Regulates:
- nuclear safety;
- nuclear site health and safety;
- nuclear security;
- nuclear safeguards;
- transport
- Regulates the accumulation and disposal
of radioactive waste from non- nuclear
premises
- Regulates nuclear and non-nuclear sites
in England
- Enforces environmental protection
legislation;
- Regulates nuclear and non-nuclear sites
in Wales
- Enforces environmental protection
legislation;
- Regulates nuclear and non-nuclear sites
in Scotland
Ministry of
Environment and
Spatial Planning
Ministry of
Health
41
(2014)
No data
ES
Nuclear Safety Council
(CSN)
Parliament
205
(2014)
SE
Swedish Radiation
Safety Authority (SSM)
Ministry of the
Environment
321
(2015)
UK
24
Office for Nuclear
Regulation (ONR, UK)
Government
Department of
Energy &
Climate Change
Government
Department of
Environment,
Food & Rural
Affairs
Welsh
Government
Scottish
Government
330
25
(2014)
Environment Agency
(EA, England)
No
available
data
Natural Resources
Wales (NRW)
Scottish Environment
Protection Agency
(SEPA)
24
25
The environment agencies regulate the accumulation of radioactive substances and the disposal of
radioactive wastes at all sites, with the exception of radioactive wastes at nuclear sites which are regulated
by ONR.
Nuclear safety specialists.
22
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Northern Ireland
Environment Agency
(NIEA)
Health & Safety
Executive (HSE)
Regulates non-nuclear sites in Northern
Ireland
- Regulate health and safety for England,
Wales and Scotland;
- Regulate the use of ionising radiation in
the non-nuclear sector
Northern Ireland
Assembly
Government
Department of
Work & Pensions
*Other sources of information
2.1.5.
Shipments within EU and to third countries
Radioactive waste shall be disposed of in the Member State in which it was generated, unless an
agreement with another Member State or third country is in force and the conditions set out in
Article 4(4) of the Directive are met. The Directive imposes conditions prior to the shipment of
radioactive waste regarding safety arrangements in the destination country, and availability,
operation and management of appropriate disposal facilities. This requirement is not applicable to:
(i) the repatriation of disused sealed sources to a supplier or manufacturer, (ii) the shipment of
spent fuel of research reactors to countries that supply or manufacture research reactor fuel (and
according to international agreements), or (iii) Krško nuclear power plant spent fuel or radioactive
waste shipped between Slovenia and Croatia.
Spent fuel and radioactive waste can be shipped to a Member State or third country for
reprocessing and processing. In this case, the ultimate responsibility for the safe and responsible
disposal of those materials, including any radioactive waste and by-products that could be
generated shall remain with the Member State from which the spent fuel or radioactive waste
originates (Article 4 of the Directive).
The majority of Member States have legal requirements in place for the spent fuel and radioactive
waste sent for processing or reprocessing abroad, among which the allocation of the ultimate
responsibility within the Member State originating the material. In most cases, the ultimate
responsibility remains within the Member State or third country in which the spent fuel or
radioactive waste was generated. A few Member States have provided the text of the agreements
for (re)processing, while others have reported the main provisions of such agreements. In
addition, a few Member States report that import of radioactive waste in their territory is excluded
by law.
The majority of Member States with research reactors foresee the return of their spent fuel back to
the supplier (USA and the Russian Federation) before 2020, without returning the possible arising
radioactive waste back to the originating countries. A few Member States with research reactors
have plans to ship the spent fuel for reprocessing, and a number of Member States with training
and demonstration reactors have not yet defined the strategy for the long term management of
spent fuel.
To date, eight Member States that have opted for spent fuel reprocessing will receive radioactive
waste after reprocessing in the EU or outside the EU in the period 2017-2052 (see Table 5).
23
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Table 5. Return of By-products from Spent Fuel Reprocessing to EU Member States
MS
BE
Type of material
Around 16 % of the spent nuclear fuel from NPP has been
reprocessed in the past at La Hague (France). Most has been
returned and the remaining secondary waste will be returned in
2017
Return of HLW from Kozloduy NPP spent fuel reprocessing in
Russia
Return of residual waste from highly enriched Uranium (LRV-15
reactor) sent to Russia
Radioactive waste from spent fuel reprocessing in the UK and
France is expected to be returned to Germany. Vitrified fission
products were already returned from France in the period 1996 -
2011
Planned return of material from spent fuel from planned Paks
NPP units 5 and 6 reprocessing in Russia in case reprocessing is
decided.
98% of NPP spent fuel is shipped to the UK and France. The
remaining 2% will be shipped to France in 2016. The return of
radioactive waste from the UK is scheduled between 2020 and
2025.
Waste from spent fuel reprocessing in the UK returned. Part of
vitrified HLW from France received and additional expected to
be returned
Products from reprocessing that need to be returned to Spain are
vitrified high level waste located in France (spent fuel from
Vandellos I NPP) and recovered U and Pu in the UK (spent fuel
from Santa Maria de Garoña NPP).
Timeframe
2017
BG
CZ
DE
After 2025
2024-2026
No information
HU
Decision not
taken yet
2020-2025
IT
NL
latest in 2052
ES
2021
26
Member States are required to include in their national programmes any agreement(s) concluded
with a Member State or a third country on management of spent fuel or radioactive waste,
including on the use of disposal facilities (Article 12(1)k of the Directive). Only a few Member
States submitted their agreement(s) with other Member States or a third country, while most
Member States with no nuclear programmes did not notify having such agreements in place to
date.
To date only two Member States have concluded an agreement for management of small amounts
of institutional waste (Luxembourg and Belgium). In addition, two Member States (Slovenia and
Croatia) are working towards common disposal solution for spent fuel and radioactive waste
generated by the shared nuclear power plant (an agreement is expected by 2023).
2.1.6.
Self-assessment and international peer reviews
At least every 10 years, Member States shall arrange for self-assessments of their national
framework, competent regulatory authority, national programme and its implementation, and to
26
When interim spent fuel /HLW storage facility is available.
24
 kom (2017) 0236 - Ingen titel
1756377_0025.png
invite international peer review of their national framework, competent regulatory authority
and/or national programme. The aim is to ensure that high safety standards are achieved in the
safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste. It is Member State's decision to define the
scope, timing and type of international peer reviews as long it complies with provision of Article
14(3) and is carried out by 2023. Member States are required to report the outcomes of these
international peer reviews to the Commission and the other Member States, which may be made
available to the public, unless there is conflict with security and proprietary information.
The majority of Member States address periodic self-assessments and international peer reviews
in a general way in their national programmes and reports. Some Member States have clearly
defined timeframes for review and update of the national programmes (which is assumed to cover
the self-assessment requirement), however only about a third of the Member States provided
information on self-assessment of the national framework for spent fuel and radioactive waste
management (see Table 6).
In most Member States self-assessment of the competent authorities has been established and
carried out through the IRRS missions of the IAEA. While the majority of Member States
reported IRRS
27
missions, a few Member States provide details on the self-assessment outcomes
related to spent fuel and radioactive
waste management. Although the majority of IRRS missions’
reports are publicly available, details on the Member States' follow up actions addressing the
outcomes of theses reviews for achieving higher level of safety have been reported by a few
Member States.
Therefore, the implementation of this Article requires specific attention in the future Member
States reporting to the Commission. Since 2014 the Commission is supporting the IAEA in
development of a self-assessment tool based on the IAEA safety standards and best practice to
enable EU Member States to fulfil their obligations for periodic self-assessment (Article 14(3) of
the Directive). The first reviews in Poland and France are scheduled for 2017.
About a third of the Member States report on the planned international peer reviews related to
their spent fuel and waste management, however a few Member States present specific
timeframes of planned international peer reviews in their national programmes and reports on
spent fuel and radioactive waste management, and clearly explaining the mechanisms for taking
into account lessons learned in the review of the national programme. The Commission is aware
through ENSREG that eight Member States have specific plans to conduct ARTEMIS
28
peer
review service and to host missions until 2023 (for details see Table 6).
27
28
Integrated Regulatory Review Service of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Since 2014 the Commission is supporting the development of a self-assessment tool by the IAEA for the
ARTEMIS review service to assist those Member States that decide to use this international peer review
service.
25
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1756377_0026.png
Table 6. Recent and planned international peer reviews as per Article 14(3) of the
Directive
29
MS
BE
BG
CZ
FI
FR
National programme and/or
National framework
No information
No information
No information
2009 (OSART
30
for the spent fuel
disposal facility), 2023 (ARTEMIS)
1996 and 2005, IAEA Review of
specific waste management projects
2017 (ARTEMIS)
2019 (ARTEMIS)
No information
No information
2019 (ARTEMIS, self-assessment)
2021 (ARTEMIS)
2023 (ARTEMIS)
No information
No information
No information
2018 (ARTEMIS)
2009 Plan review through IRRS
(2012); SKB post-closure safety case
NEA/OECD review (2012); WANO
review of SKB SFR and Clab
operation (2013)
OSART for Sizewell B site planned.
No information
2019
–
2021 period (ARTEMIS)
No information
No information
2017 (ARTEMIS)
31
No information
No information
No information
No information
No information
No information
After 2018
Competent regulatory authority
2013 (IRRS),
2016 (IRRS follow-up)
2016 (IRRS follow-up)
2017 (IRRS)
2012 (IRRS), 2015 (IRRS follow-up), 2023
(IRRS full scope)
2014 (IRRS)
2018 (IRRS full scope)
2012 (IRRS follow-up),
2015 (IRRS)
2016 (IRRS)
2016 (IRRS full scope), 2018 (IRRS follow-
up)
2014 (IRRS) and 2018 (IRRS follow-up),
2023 (IRRS full scope)
No information
2012 (IRRS follow
–up)
2011 (IRRS) and 2014 (IRRS follow-up)
2008 (IRRS), 2011 (IRRS follow-up)
2012 (IRRS), 2016 (IRRS follow-up)
DE
HU
IT
LT
NL
RO
SK
SI
ES
SE
UK
AT
DK
EL
LV
PL
PT
HR
CY
EE
IE
MT
LU
2006, 2009, 2013 (IRRS) and 2014 (IRRS
follow-up)
No information
2019
–
2021 period (IRRS)
2012 (IRRS)
No information
2013 (IRRS)
No information
2015 (IRRS)
2017 (IRRS)
No information
2015 (IRRS)
Self-assessment in 2014 and 2015 (IRRS)
2018 (and expanded IRRS)
29
30
31
The information in grey is provided by Member State through the ENSREG Working Group 2 or other
source (e.g. IAEA), however not included in the national programmes and reports of Member States.
IAEA Operational Safety Review Team for peer reviews of operational safety performance at a nuclear
power plants.
Information to Commission after the
notification of the Polish programme and report.
26
 kom (2017) 0236 - Ingen titel
1756377_0027.png
2.1.7.
Notification and reporting
To date all Member States have submitted their first reports as required by Article 14(1) and a few
Member States (Czech Republic, Germany and Estonia) have notified their Joint Convention
32
reports (dated 2014) for the 5
th
Joint Convention review meeting (held in May 2015) to the
Commission as part of their national programme/reports required under Article 15(4) and Article
14 (1) of the Directive.
With exception of one (Latvia), all Member States submitted to the Commission their final (22
Member States) or draft programmes (5 Member States
–
Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy
and Portugal) that currently undergo formal approval at a national level. Slovenia and Spain
national programmes have been drawn-up in 2006 and therefore some of the information reported
is out-dated but both of these countries have presented updated information on the spent fuel and
radioactive waste management activities in their national reports, as well as an updated inventory
of the spent fuel and radioactive waste. All this information has been used in the preparation of
this report
33
.
As the Member States' deadline for notification of their national programmes was 23 August
2015, the Commission opened 12 EU pilots for non-communication of the national programmes
in October 2015. Three Member States submitted their final programmes in January 2016 and the
Commission then proceeded with nine Letters of Formal Notice in April 2016. In response the
Commission received three additional national programmes by August 2016. The majority of
remaining Member States planned to notify their approved programmes by the end of 2016,
although a few Member States foresee submission in 2017 due to the long approval process in the
country.
2.2.
Assuring the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management
2.2.1.
Licence holder’s responsibilities
Member States shall ensure that the prime responsibility for the safety of spent fuel and
radioactive waste management facilities and/or activities rest with the licence holder; and that
responsibility cannot be delegated (Article 7 of the Directive).
All Member States have reported that measures are in place to ensure that the primary
responsibility for spent fuel and radioactive waste management is with the license holders. The
provisions presented are mainly legal and focus on legal requirements, license conditions and
enforcement actions in case of non-compliance. However, in some cases examples have provided
with regard to their practical implementation of these legal provisions.
Licence holders shall establish and implement integrated management systems, which give due
priority for overall management of spent fuel and radioactive waste to safety and are regularly
verified by the competent regulatory authority. Overall the majority of Member States have
reported their legal requirements for integrated management system or quality assurance for spent
fuel and radioactive waste management that focus on safety. Limited information has been
provided in the national reports on how these requirements are implemented in practice by all
radioactive waste and spent fuel management license holders. The majority of Member States
with nuclear facilities provided more details on integrated management and quality assurance
systems within their national operators, bodies or organisations related with nuclear facilities
(through examples in some cases), and less within organisations dealing with institutional waste.
A few Member States have not addressed management system in their reports.
32
33
Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Management.
The updated national programme of Slovenia has not been taken into account, as it is currently under
assessment.
27
 kom (2017) 0236 - Ingen titel
Licence holders have to provide for and maintain adequate financial and human resources to fulfil
their obligations for safe long term management of spent fuel and radioactive waste. Overall
Member States have legally established requirements in this regard, such as, a license can be
granted only in case the applicant does demonstrate sufficient human, technical and financial
resources. The majority of Member States with nuclear programmes state that the financial and
human resources are enough or adequate, without providing further details. In some cases, these
countries establish in their national framework a generic requirement of adequate resources. A
few Member States with nuclear facilities have provided very detailed information on human and
financial resources currently available in the licensees.
2.2.2. Concepts and plans (including post closure)
National programmes shall include the concepts or plans and technical solutions for spent fuel and
radioactive waste management from generation to disposal (incl. post-closure phase), in particular
related to institutional control and preservation of knowledge in the longer term (see Article
12(1)d and Article 12(1)e of the Directive).
Overall the predisposal management of radioactive waste is a practice with long Member States'
experience, and Member States either have capacities or plan to develop additional ones until
disposal options remain available at national or international level. Concepts and/or plans and
technical solutions for predisposal management of spent fuel and radioactive waste are defined in
different level of detail by all Member States with present or past nuclear programmes.
Due to the long timeframes until geological disposal facilities become operational in most nuclear
power plant Member States, the importance of spent fuel, HLW and ILW sufficient storage
capacity is increasing. For example, some Member States already have plans for construction of
mainly dry storage facilities for spent fuel, either new or expanding the existing capacities.
Contrary to this, disposal concepts for ILW, HLW and spent fuel are, instead, not as well
developed and detailed in most of the countries. Regarding geological disposal, about over half of
Member States have disposal plans spanning up to the next century, and one third of Member
States plan to operate such facilities after 2040. A number of Member States with new build
programmes have not considered the additional storage/disposal capacities in their national
programmes.
The plans for spent fuel management in majority of the Member States with existing and planned
nuclear programmes are to dispose this fuel without reprocessing, except for the few Member
States which are reprocessing (France and the UK) or have ongoing reprocessing arrangements
with France, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation.
There are plans of 15 Member States for geological disposal facilities, the majority planned to be
operational after 2065 (the first three in Finland, France and Sweden by 2030, see Table 7). In
order to facilitate the development of such complex projects five underground laboratories are in
operation in four Member States. Three more laboratories are foreseen in Czech Republic, Poland
and Romania as presented in Table 13. Some of the remaining countries consider as an option the
disposal either in EU or in a third country (see Table 7). At the same time, a number of Member
States presented their plans for finding solutions for disposal of exotic waste from research
activities.
A few Member States with nuclear programmes did not address all types of radioactive wastes as
their programmes mainly focused on nuclear power plant waste and spent fuel. Management
solutions for some types of radioactive waste like orphan sources and institutional wastes (e.g.
disused sealed sources categorised as radioactive waste) have not been addressed in detail in the
national programmes.
28
 kom (2017) 0236 - Ingen titel
1756377_0029.png
Table 7. Planned Deep Geological Disposal Facilities
34
in EU Member States
MS
Siting
Com-
mis-
sioning
2022
2025
Opera-
tion
(years)
90
more than
100
Closure
Institu-
tional
Control
Not
foreseen
Cost (€
35
)
Respon-
sible
organi-
zation
POSIVA
ANDRA
Comment
FI
FR
Eurajoki
(Olkiluoto)
site
Cigeo: sited
in
the
Border of
the Meuse
and Haute-
Marne
Forsmark
site
2110
After
2125
36
3.5 bn (2012,
5 units)
16.5 bn
(2012)
37
SE
2019-
2030
45
2075-
2076
Not
foreseen
SKB
UK
2016
2040
until 2089
2120
9,5 bn £
(2014/2015 )
(undis-
counted)
NDA
Licence for
constructio
n (2015)
100 year
reversibi-
lity;
concept for
submission
for au-
thorization
Licence
application
for con-
struction
under
review
2016 is a
formal
process of
working
with
communi-
ties for
potential
sites;
start
receiving
ILW and
LLW in
around
2040 and
HLW in
2075
The cost is
for a new
geological
disposal
facility
Siting not
started yet
DE
After 2031
2050
7.7 bn
RO
2025
2055
100
2150
1.02 bn (2
units) to 2.04
bn (2006)
USD (4
units)
Federal
Office
for Ra-
diation
Protec-
tion
ANDR
34
35
36
37
The terms near surface, intermediate depth and deep geological disposal are used in the meaning of IAEA
Safety Guide GSG-1
“Classification of Radioactive Waste”, 2009.
Otherwise specified.
Law on reversibility (100 years) passed in 2016.
http://cigeo.com/en/project-cost.
29
 kom (2017) 0236 - Ingen titel
1756377_0030.png
MS
Siting
Com-
mis-
sioning
Opera-
tion
(years)
Closure
Institu-
tional
Control
Not yet
establish
ed
Not
foreseen
Cost (€
35
)
Respon-
sible
organi-
zation
PURAM
Comment
HU
Site
selection
ongoing
Site
selection
first stage
(2013-2016)
Sit selection
in 2030
2084
39
2064
20
38
2105-
2115
745 278.5
mill HUF
(2015)
3.7-4.4 bn
(2014)
SK
JAVYS
2065
SI
Site to be
selected
(2045-2055)
40-60
2075
No data
Not available
ARAO
2065
10
HR
2043
2065
CZ
2018
2065
LT
2033
2066
ES
2016-2050
(including
knowledge
update)
Prefeasibi-
lity
study
ongoing and
6 potential
sites
selected
NL
Decision in
100 years
About
2130
38
39
40
4.1 bn (2011)
or 111.400
mill CZK
2072
6
1.89
–
2.6 bn
3 bn (2005)
40
SÚRAO
Research
activities
are
planned
3.7 bn for
40 years
NPP
operation
and 4.4 bn
for 60
years NPP
operation
Agreement
with
Croatia
pending
Possible
agreement
wih
Slovenia
by 2023
Ongoing
site
selection;
two sites to
be selected
Ignalina
NPP/
RATA
ENRESA
2050-
2069
2069
Not available
SERAO
No con-
cepts as
yet for
ILW /
HLW other
than
interim
storage
Costs for
"final
storage".
Decision in
100 years
BG
1.5-2.5
(1996-2000)
COVRA
If Hungary opts for reprocessing of the spent fuel of the new-built, the operation of the deep geological
disposal will be 50-60 years instead.
Could be 2114-2124.
Data from the 6
th
General Radioactive Waste Plan. In addition, the estimated total cost for spent fuel
management is about 7 bn (2015) for a 40 years NPP operation scenario.
30
 kom (2017) 0236 - Ingen titel
1756377_0031.png
MS
Siting
Com-
mis-
sioning
Opera-
tion
(years)
Closure
Institu-
tional
Control
Cost (€
35
)
Respon-
sible
organi-
zation
ONDRA
F/NIRAS
Comment
BE
No
date
defined
pending
national
policy
PL
22
nd
century
15 years
after
authorisati
on is
given
around 50
years
Not
available
22
nd
century
at least
100
years
after
construct
ion and
operatin
g license
Mid-22
nd
century
3.2 bn (2012)
The
disposal
cost is for
waste
category B
and
category C
New build
Not available
RWMP
In most of the Member States without nuclear programmes the disposal options for radioactive
waste are only at a conceptual level and the pertinent research and siting activities have been
postponed in some cases for several decades.
Radioactive waste predisposal activities in Member States without nuclear programmes are
predominantly related to storage of disused radioactive sources, and return of disused sealed
radioactive sources to the supplier.
To date over 30 dedicated disposal facilities for VLLW and LLW are in place in 12 Member
States. Bulgaria, Latvia and Lithuania categorised their past disposal facilities of RADON type
41
as storage facilities. About half of Member States are planning to build new disposal facilities and
capacities in the next decade (see Table 8).
The types of facilities range from landfills, trenches to vault type disposal facilities depending on
the type and class of radioactive waste disposed. These facilities are mainly in the Member States
with nuclear programmes and in a number of cases. In addition to Bulgaria and Lithuania, a few
Member States also plan or consider remediation of existing disposal facilities and contaminated
sites (e.g. Germany).
41
“RADON”
type facilities for institutional waste built in the 1960s.
31
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1756377_0032.png
Table 8. Near surface and intermediate depth disposal facilities in EU
MSe
Existing/
planned
Planned LLW
(Category A
waste)
Existing
for
LLW and ILW
(institutional
waste)
Planned
near surface
CZ
Dukovany
(existing)
Hostim
(existing)
Bratrstvi
(existing)
Richard
(existing)
Siting
Commis
sioning
4 y after
construc
tion/ope
ration
license
1964
Operation
(years)
54 y after
constructio
n/operation
license
Closure
Institution
al Control
(years)
250
Responsi
ble
organizat
ion
ONDRAF
/
NIRAS
SERAW
Comment
BE
Dessel site
104
y
after
constructi
on/operati
on license
BG
Novi
site
han
Under
licensing
application
review for
construction
Used
for
storage.
Planned
decommissi
oning
by
2025
Radiana
2021
2086
SERAW
Duckovany
NPP
Beroun
J́chymov
1995
1959
1974
2050
1965
2020
300
Ongoing
100
SÚRAO
SÚRAO
SÚRAO
Capacity
until 2050
Closed
Capacity
until 2020
for NORM
waste
Capacity
until 2025;
considered
extension
afterwards
Concept for
low
and
intermediate
level waste
disposal to
be decided
Litom̌̌ice
1974
2025
100
SÚRAO
EE
Planned
2018
2040
2050
A.L.A.R.
A. AS
FI
FR
Lovisa NPP
(existing)
Olkiloto NPP
(existing)
Hanhikivi
(planned)
Centre de
L'Aube
(existing)
Lovisa
Olkiloto
1998
1992
After
2035
1992
2060
2080
2100
2120
or
Aube
district
Later than
2050
Not
required
Not
required
Not
required
300
TVO
FORTU
M
FVO
ANDRA
Low level
waste
and
intermediate
level waste-
short lived
32
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1756377_0033.png
Centre de La
Manche
(existing)
Cires
(existing)
Konrad
Manche
district
1969
1994
300 (since
2003)
ANDRA
Morvilliers
2003
Saturatio
n in 2025
Several
decades
Until 1998
In
progress
2067
150
ANDRA
DE
42
2007
2022
Morsleben
(existing)
HU
Radioactive
Waste
Treatment and
Disposal
Facility
(RWTDF,
(existing)
National
Radioactive
Waste
Repository
(NRWR,
existing)
National
repository
(planned)
RADON
(Existing)
Morsleben
P̈sp̈ksziĺ
gy
1971
1976
Federal
Office for
Radiation
Protection
BfS
PURAM
VLLW
disposal
facility
Under
construction
Closed
under
licensing
Institutional
waste
Bataapati
2008
2084
50
PURAM
Waste
nuclear
power plants
IT
planned
Maišiagala
2015
2018
1964
-
1989
SOGIN
Technology
parc
For
institutional
waste to be
retrieved and
facility
remediated.
Site release
in 2023
Planned
investigation
for possible
conversion
of
an
existing
industrial
landfill to a
VLLW
disposal
facility
LT
Industrial
landfill
VLLW
disposal
(planned)
for
Ignalina
NPP
Decision
to retrieve
or leave
2018
-
2025
RATA
VLLW
(planned)
LILW
Ignalina
(planned)
Ignalina
NPP
Ignalina
NPP
2018
2020
2038
2021
Active 30
Passive 70
Active 100
Passive
200
RATA
RATA
42
Asse II salt mine remediation is planned around 2033.
33
 kom (2017) 0236 - Ingen titel
1756377_0034.png
LV
PL
RO
Bituminised
Ignalina
(planned)
Baldone
(existing)
NRWR
(existing)
NNRWR
(planned)
BaiTa-bihor
(existing)
DFDSMA
(planned)
Ignalina
NPP
Baldone
ROZAN
Selection in
2018
Decision
in 2022
1962
1961
2018-
2024
1986
2021
2020
2024-
2029
2144-
2155
2050-
2055
2090
After
2061
2062
After
2065
2040
2040
After 2080
Extension
to
be
decided
in 2018
300 years
60 years
several
decades
active; and
200-300
passive
ENRESA
ENRESA
JAVYS
Existing;
extension to
be decided
in 2018
300
300
100 active
200
passive
100 active
200
passive
LEGMC
RWMP
RWMP
ANDR
ANDR
ARAO
Pending
agreement
with HR
NPP waste
disposal to
be
agreed
with SI
Also
used
for storage
Operating
Planned
2017
Site
selected:
Vrbina in
2009
Cerkezovav
SI
LILW
(Planned)
Institutional
radioactive
waste disposal
(planned)
LLW and ILW
(existing)
VLLW
(existing)
Mochovce
LLW
(existing)
Mochovce
VLLW
(planned)
SFR (low and
intermediate
level waste)
(existing)
SFL
(long
lived low and
intermediate
level waste)
(existing)
Forsmark NPP
(VLLW)
(existing)
Oskarsham
m
NPP
(VLLW,
existing)
Ringhals
NPP
(VLLW,
(existing)
HR
2025
ES
El Cabril
El Cabril
Mochovce
1992
2008
2001
SK
Mochovce
Forsmark
2018
1983-
1988
Planned
2045
Extension
requested
in 2014
2070-2075
JAVYS
SKB AB
Expected
extension in
2023
SE
License to
be
submitted
in 2030
Forsmark
2075
SKB AB
30
Oskarsham
m
Ringhals
30
Forsmark Operational
s
Kraftgrup
p AB
OKG AB Operational
30
Ringhals
AB
Operational
34
 kom (2017) 0236 - Ingen titel
1756377_0035.png
UK
Studsvik
(VLLW,
(existing)
Drigg
VLLW/LL
W (existing
vaults and
trenches)
CLESA
(existing)
Calder
landfill
VLLW
South
landfill
VVLW
(existing)
Dounreay
shaft
(existing)
Dounreay
LLW
(existing)
Onsite pits
and trenches
(existing)
Studsvik
Sellafield
1950
2050
30
100
AB
SVAFO
Low
Level
Waste
Repositor
y Limited
Operational
Foreseen
extension
of
capacity after
2050
for
operation until
2129
Decommission
ing waste and
site clearance
waste
Sellafield
2026
Sellafield
Sellafield
Dounreay
Dounreay
2014
2005
2028
Dounreay
Site
Restoratio
n Limited
(DSRL)
closed
Harwell,
Springfield,
Sellafield,
and
Dounreay
The national programmes should address post-closure measures for disposal facilities and
measures for knowledge preservation (Article 12(1)e of the Directive).
The majority of countries cover the post-closure period only in very general terms or did not
address the post closure measures for the disposal facilities in their notifications. Of the countries
with a present or past nuclear programmes, only a few have presented detailed and defined plans
for the post-closure period of the disposal facilities. Some of the countries present plans for the
post-closure period only for the near-surface disposal facilities while the post-closure period of
the deep geological facilities is either not detailed or not foreseen. The main reason provided in
this case was either no availability of operational disposal facilities and/or that it is premature to
consider this phase now, including the fact that a number of countries leave open the possibility
for a regional solution to the disposal of spent fuel and high level wastes.
Information on the preservation of knowledge after the closure of the disposal facilities is in
particular not available in most of the national programmes submitted.
2.2.3. Safety demonstration
The licensees shall regularly assess, verify and continuously improve, as far as is reasonably
achievable, the safety of the radioactive waste and spent fuel management facility or activity in a
systematic and verifiable manner, by applying the graded approach (see Article 7 of the
Directive). The majority of Member States presented the legal basis and provisions for regular
safety reviews, however a few concrete examples of how these provisions have been applied in
35
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practice were available (e.g. stress test after Fukushima, safety assessment for spent fuel
facilities).
Safety demonstration shall cover activities and facilities (i.e. development, operation and
decommissioning), as well as the post-closure phase of disposal facilities (see Article 7(3) of the
Directive). The majority of Member States have addressed safety demonstration in their reports
mainly through presentation or reference to established legal requirements. About one third of
Member States (mainly Member States with nuclear power plants) have addressed safety
demonstration in their reports though concrete examples of safety assessments and safety cases
mainly, for large nuclear facilities and producers of spent fuel and radioactive waste. Member
States with research reactors and non-nuclear programmes provide little information on practical
examples of safety demonstrations and their results, as well as implementation of emergency
preparedness measures.
2.2.4.
Cost assessment, financing mechanisms and available resources
Article 12(1)h of the Directive requires Member States to provide cost assessments for spent fuel
and radioactive waste management in their national programmes, including assumptions used and
profile over time. Over two-thirds of Member States included information about individual costs
(e.g. disposal) or costs estimates for spent fuel and radioactive waste management in their national
programmes.
The information on the cost assessments is mainly provided by Member States with nuclear
programmes and research reactors, which represent the majority of spent fuel and waste inventory
in the EU. While most Member States have estimated the global costs of the actions that are
included in their national programmes, in the majority of cases this information is not sufficient to
conclude on the completeness and accuracy of the figures reported. Member States with only
institutional waste have not provided cost estimation.
Based on the reported data, the estimated total cost for the management of spent fuel and
radioactive waste in line with the Member States national programmes to date is about EUR 400
bn (see Table 9) which for some Member States includes also costs for decommissioning. A very
significant part of the total cost is for the United Kingdom, France and Germany as these Member
States have the largest nuclear programmes and inventories of spent fuel and radioactive waste in
the EU. The data has not been verified by the Commission.
To put this figure in perspective and taking into account the total estimated production of
electricity until the end of the NPP lifetime, the estimated cost for implementation of the Member
States national programmes represents about 4 to 6% of the electricity generation cost from
NPPs
43
. Some of the data differ from the PINC
44
as the national programmes in addition to NPPs
cover also other facilities (e.g. research reactors) as well as costs of remediation of contaminated
sites from past practices.
It can be noted that Member States with nuclear programmes applied two main approaches to cost
assessment
–
different scenarios based on different hypotheses (e.g. including or not life time
extension of nuclear power plants) and, variation of parameters for one base or reference scenario.
About half of Member States provide information on the assumptions and other data explaining
the basis for the estimation, however with different level of detail. The scope of assessments also
43
44
Assuming average cost of 20 to 30 cents per kWh.
Communication from the Commission Nuclear Illustrative Programme presented under Article 40 of the
Euratom Treaty for the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee {COM(2017)237}.
36
 kom (2017) 0236 - Ingen titel
differs, as some Member States presented only waste disposal costs, other included
decommissioning cost (including management of decommissioning waste) as well. In some cases,
the cost for management of research reactor spent fuel (i.e. storage in EU and repatriation to the
state of origin) was not reported. The cost of management of institutional waste is not often
clearly presented in the Member States' programmes. In some cases, the cost presented does not
include all facilities, and in other cases, the costs are estimated for a fraction of the programme
(for instance only until the next revision of the national programme). Most Member States with
large nuclear facilities have established mechanisms for the periodic update and review of the cost
estimation.
Member States are also required to have adequate financing mechanisms (Article 12(1)i, Article
5(1)h and Article 9 of the Directive). So, all Member States have presented their mechanisms in
place for the funding of their national programmes, with diverse levels of details. Member States
with nuclear facilities have opted for different arrangements. A few Member States have internal
funds (e.g. within the companies generating spent fuel and radioactive waste) established by large
electricity producers. Member States with institutional waste declare that the cost of waste
management will be covered by the fees that the waste management organisation charges to the
radioactive waste/spent fuel generators.
Financial mechanisms provide in most cases for regular and independent assessment, and
stringent legal constraints to ensure that the funds are in effect spent for the purposes for which
they were created.
More than half of Member States provided information about the status of the funds for spent fuel
and/or radioactive waste management at different level of detail as presented in Table 10.
Lithuania and Estonia have indicated their reliance on EU funds for radioactive waste and spent
fuel management, while a number of Member States declared insufficiency of funds to date.
37
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Table 9. Estimated total cost of spent fuel and radioactive waste management based on EU
Member States' programmes
Member
State
Estimated total
costs, bill€ (year)
Timeframes
Assumptions
Generated
capacity (TWh,
total estimated
for the
lifetime)
30
1748
BE
4.6 (2012)
45
BG
2.0-4.5 (2015)
2030
CZ
4.2 (2011)
geological
disposal after
2160
2110
2135
FI
6.5 (2012)
89 (2011 prices)
FR
DE
66.9 (2012)
2080
HU
5.3 (2015)
2064
IT
18.1
2.5 (2005-2014)
LT
2030 (excluding
geological
disposal)
2038 (but before
geological
Category A and B disposal costs of:
1.38bill€ for near surface disposal
facilities and 3.2bill€ for geological
disposal
Decommissioning,
spent
fuel
processing
and.
storage
for
Kozloduy NPP units 1-4 and 5-6.
The range of costs depends on the
extension or not for units 5 and 6.
Low and intermediate level waste
disposal up to 2050 3,250 CZK mill
(2013) = 0,11 bill Eur; and 0.037
CZK/€;
includes
also
decommissioning
Not including future NPPs’ 100 mill
€ for
near surface disposal and 3,5
bill
€ for
geological disposal
Including institutional control; 35
bill€ for legacy sites recovery; 38
bill
€
decommissioning; 16 bill
€
for
geological disposal (although now
reassessed to 25 bill€)
34 bill
€ for NPP waste,
Asse - 5
bill€; Morsleben
–
2.4-4.7 bn€;
Konrad
–
7.5 bn
€
and new
geological disposal facility
–
7.7 bn
€;
public radioactive waste manage-
ment - 6 bn
€;
Gorleben site - 2 bn
€
(40 mill€/year for 50 years until
2065) all at 2012 prices
1 650 402 mill HUF (2015) for:
- Decommissioning of 4 NPP Units
in operation;
- Decommissioning of spent fuel
interim storage facility (ISFS);
- Radioactive waste disposal facili-
ties;
- HLW disposal facility;
- PURAM operating costs, supervi-
sion fees, fund management and
support to local governments.
1,5 bill € for siting and construction
of the Technological Park
RAW management and disposal &
SF management: 560.2
mill €
807
1334
1041
21076
5234
624
143
311
45
Based on data provided by the Belgian Ministry of Economy the cost for radioactive waste management in
Belgium is
€9.2
bn and for decommissioning
–
4.6 bn
€, in total €13.8
bn (see footnote 132 of PINC
SWD(2017)158).
38
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disposal)
NL
RO
1.5-2.5 (1996-2000)
1.8 to 3.5
SI
0.31 (2005)
8 (2014)
20 (2015)
10 (2013)
147.5 (2014)
No data
Geological
repository
development
should start
from 2040
2006-2065
2060
2085
From 2015
onward
NDA costs till
2130
(decommissioning
plan
2014)
Close Maišiagala repository: 4.2
(specific
programme
2013)
Other activities: 47.7 (present cost
2014);
SF
disposal:
1889.0
(feasibility study 2005)
Cost for "final storage"
Average of 1.8 and 3.5bill€.
3,5bn € (includes 2 new reactors)
and 1.8bn€ without new build
Total
costs
for
2005-2065
extrapolated from 2006-2015 costs
Total cost incurred until the end of
2014-5.2 bn; and future costs (2015)
-
€14.7 bn
January 2013 price level
The NDA, having considered a
number of scenarios, continues to
estimate the undiscounted cost
within a potential range from £95 bn
(€118 bn) to £218 bn (€272 bn)
Immediate decommissioning of the
Krško NPP after shut-down
in 2043,
The
cost
includes,
waste
management, spent fuel and
decommissioning
202
448
138
707
3126
SK
ES
SE
UK
3386
3445
HR
0.9 (2015)
After 2043
138
AT
DK
EL
No data
No data
4.6 x10
-3
99x10
-3
2.5x10
-3
0.5 x 10
-3
(2016)
4.6x10
-3
No data
1.08
No data
No data
Next 5 years
2025
Costs cover for collection and
storage of disused radioactive sealed
source
The cost excludes future NPP and
geological repository
Cost for the spent fuel transfer to
USA remaining fuel & decommis-
sioning
Cost of repatriation or disposal, and
operational costs of the storage
included in Nicosia General Hospital
No data
2002
costs
for
construction
radioactive waste management, Im-
proving safety, compensation to
Baldone municipality for radioactive
waste storage facility
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
PL
PT
CY
EE
IE
LV
39
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1756377_0040.png
LU
No data
No data
Costs for shipment to Belgium. The
government states it is capable of
covering any cost
-
MT
No data
No data
-
Table 10. Financial mechanisms and accumulated funds by Member State
MS
Financial
mechanisms
(organisation)
Radioactive
waste
management
fund (SE
RAO)
Decommission
ing fund (SE
RAO)
Nuclear
Account for
SF & RAW
(Ministry of
Finance)
Central
Nuclear
Financial
Fund
Gradual
Internal
(I)/
External
(E)
E
Funds
accumu
lated (bn €)
0.845 (2003)
Total
accumu
lated (date)
0.845b€
(2003)
Preliminary
estimate of
available
funds
46
(%)
19 to 20 (the
latter
assuming 6
units and
LTO)
Comments
BG
Annual
fees
Annual
fees
Annual
fees
E
1.4 (2015)
CZ
E
1.4 (2014)
1.4 (2014)
33
EU funds for
Kozloduy NPP
units 1 to 4 are
taken into
account.
Recognised
insuffiency of
fund to date.
37.4b CZK, 2014
( 0.037 CZK/€)
HU
Annual
fees
E
0.8 (2015)
0.8 (2015)
15
Fund to cover the
costs for
management of
waste, spent fuel
and
decommissioning;
246,386 mill
HUF, 2015
(0.0032HUF/€)
SK
FI
BE
DE
National
Nuclear Fund
The State
Nuclear Waste
Management
Fund
Long-Term
Fund
(NIRAS/OND
RAF)
Private
generators
Annual
fees
Annual
fees
E
E
1.2 (2015)
2.5 ( 2016)
1.2 (2015)
2.5 (2016)
18
Does not include
new build
38
I
No
information
-
-
I
36 (2015)
reported for
36 (2015)
54
Based on the total
cost 66.9 bn€
(as
47
The costs notified by Member States have not been verified by the Commission. The figure in the column is
indicative and is based on the available financial resources vs total costs in the national programme and
report reported by a Member State.
40
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FR
IT
(NPPs) make
provisions
47
Licensees
create a
portfolio of
dedicated
assets.
State pays for
state owned
facilities.
SOGIN
manages the
funds for
waste
management
NPPs
I
43 (2011)
48
at 2012) until
2080 and 2103
As dedicated
internal funds &
assets
Annual
fee
No
information
-
-
LT
Decommission
ing Fund for
Ignalina
Nuclear Power
Plant, State
Budget,
Ignalina
Programme,
INPP, Other
funds
No
information
No
information
-
NL
Contributions
to COVRA
E
183 mill
(2014)
48
-
8
RO
Waste
Disposal Fund
(ANDR)
Annual
fees
E
102 million
(2014)
0.15 (2014)
4-8
The national
programme cost
is until 2030 and
exclude
geological
disposal. Private
generators shall
pay to a fund (no
details on the
fund available)
The national
report states that
the funds are
sufficient SF and
RAW
management until
2020. Reliance on
EU funds after
2020.
Decommissioning
continues until
2038
Temporary
surface storage
for at least 100
years. Operation
of geological
disposal in 2130.
4% for new build
scenario and 8%
without new
build. Financing
mechanism under
revision to
address the
insufficiency of
funds
47
48
For public generators of spent fuel/radioactive waste, resources are entered in the respective current budget
for the decommissioning and dismantling costs.
Ministry report states that "final storage" reserves at the end 2014 € 68 mill, "long term storage" reserves €
102 mill, and additional costs of € 13 mill. The long-term
reserves are made increased yearly by 4.3 %
(2.3% real+ 2% inflation).
41
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ES
SI
Decommission
ing Fund
(ANDR)
Fund for the
financing of
activities
included in the
General
Radioactive
Waste Plan
Fund for
Financing the
Decommission
ing and
Management
of Radioactive
Waste from
the Krško NPP
Nuclear Waste
Fund
Annual
fees
Annual
fees
E
47 million
(2014)
19.96 (from
2015
onward)
5.2
35
49
209 million Lei
(€47 million)
costs to 2085;
future costs
considered only
E
Annual
fees
E
0.04
0.04
13
SE
Annual
fees
E
UK
Studsvik
Legacy Fund
Non-nuclear
waste manage-
ment of
orphan
sources
NDA Fund
I
E
SEK 56 bn.
and 19 bn
SEK
guarantees
1.3 bn SEK
(2013)
127 mill
SEK
76.3 bn SEK
(2015)
75
Estimates only
made for period
2006-2015.
financing the
decommissioning
of the NPP and
for the disposal of
NPP radioactive
waste
Total of 76.3 bn
SEK.
Only remaining
costs considered.
56% coverage if
guarantees are
excluded
State
funds
83.8 (2015)
30-70
depending on
the scenarios
HR
Nuclear
Liabilities
Fund
Fund for Fi-
nancing the
Decommis-
sioning of the
Krško Nuclear
Power Plant
and the Dis-
posal of NPP
RAW and SF
Annual
fee
Annual
fees
E
8.3 (2015)
67 bn £
= (0.8P/€)
(activities until
2130, and total
NDA cost
between 95-218
bn £)
8.3 bn £ (2015)
E
0.2 (2013)
22
0.16 bn € as at
2013, if reactor
extension is up to
2043 then
estimated to
0.54bill €
49
Future costs (€14.7 bn) considered only.
42
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AT
EL
Final disposal
fees paid to
the
Government
Fund yet to be
established
Fees for
treatment
and dis-
posal
No
information
-
-
No
information
-
-
4.6 mill€ costs
over 5 years for
collection &
storage of disused
radioactive sealed
sources.
DK
PT
No
information
Disposal
revenue;
General state
budget and
IST budget
RWMP
collects fees
Fees from
producers
No
information
No
information
-
-
-
-
US transfer of
remaining fuel to
be covered by the
State; increase of
fees foreseen in
2015
Decommissioning
fund for the new
build to be
established
PL
CY
Fund planned
Fees for
disposal,
decon-
tamina-
tion, and
transport
Currently
genera-
tors’ fees
and State
budget
Estonian
environm
ental fees
EU funds
Fees from
waste
producers
Currently
gene-
rators’
fees and
State
budget
E
No
information
-
-
No
information
-
-
EE
No
information
-
-
The fund costs
will cover waste
management
(incl. disposal),
decommissioning,
R&D, etc.
Reliance on EU
funds for
historical
liabilities
IE
No
information
-
-
LV
Currently
gene-
rators’
fees and
State
budget
No
information
-
-
The state cost
cover orphan
sources. The
regulators income
in 2012 was 5.2
mill
€ but not
specifically for
radioactive waste
Provisions for
Salaspils research
reactor assumed
by the State
43
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MT
LU
Government
will provide
necessary
resources
Currently
gene-
rators’
fees
Currently
gene-
rators’
fees
No
information
-
-
State to cover the
cost of orphan
sources
Statement for all
necessary
resource available
No
information
-
-
Limited information has been reported on the funds' investments and management to ensure
availability of funds when needed in the future.
2.2.5. Expertise and skills
All parties in Member States have to make arrangements for education and training for their staff,
as well as research and development activities to cover the needs of the national programme for
spent fuel and radioactive waste management in order to obtain, maintain and to further develop
necessary expertise and skills (Article 8 of the Directive).
The majority of Member States have legal requirements for training and education of staff
involved in spent fuel and radioactive waste management. About half of Member States has
presented specific measures in place for maintaining skills and competence of generators,
operators and competent authorities, although the emphasis was more on training and competence
of regulatory body's staff and less on research and development.
Overall Member States with nuclear power plants have presented more developed practical
arrangements for training and education than the remaining Member States. Some Member States
presented very detailed training programmes and information on the costs/investments for training
and skills development
Member States use national schemes and arrangements that can be summarised as follows:
Post-graduate courses at universities;
Training centres (basic and specialized, some of which at nuclear power plants);
Training programmes or plans (i.e. at national, facility, or organizational entity level);
Regular self-assessments of staff and needs analysis;
Specialised, regular training for different levels of staff (e.g. or on-the job training with
experienced staff);
Specialized courses (e.g. for newcomers or experienced staff).
International exchange of experience through peer reviews, workshops, conferences, visits, etc.
has been recognized by Member States as useful tool in particular for non-nuclear Member States.
2.2.6. Research and development
Each Member State programme shall include the research, development and demonstration
activities needed in order to implement solutions for safe long term management of spent fuel and
radioactive waste (see Article 12(1) f of the Directive).
To date the research programmes in the EU are at different level stage of implementation
depending on the status of implementation of their national programmes. Member States have
long experience in national and international projects (including EC research framework
programmes) that cover various aspects of predisposal and disposal.
44
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They are mainly developed by the Member States with nuclear programmes, where four Member
States currently operate five underground research laboratories for spent fuel, HLW and ILW
disposal and four more Member States plan to develop such laboratories after 2020-2030 period
to support the national geological disposal projects (see Table 11).
Table 11. Underground research laboratories (URL) for Disposal of HLW/Spent Fuel in
EU
50
MS
URL
Site
Status
Purpose
Responsible
organization for
facility
development
EURIDICE
(cooperation of
ONDRAF/NIRAS
& SCK CEN)
SURAO
BfS/DBE
BE
HADES
SCK•CEN
site at Mol
In operation
Methodological and non-site-
specific URL in Boom clay
(poorly-indurated) at ~ 230 m
depth on; has been extended
as part of ongoing PRACLAY
project.
Long term site investigations
Salt formation
CZ
DE
Planned
Gorleben
To be
selected
Gorleben
2030
Exploration
started in 1986.
Discontinued in
2013
In operation
FI
ONKALO
Eurajoki
FR
Bure
Tournemire
Meuse/Haute
Marne
Southern
Aveyron
In operation since
2006
In operation since
1990
Planned
from
2020 to 2055
Discontinued
1998
Planned
in
Waste characterization, 420 m
depth, planned to be
incorporated into disposal
facility with first disposal
about 2025
Callovo-Oxfordian clay (hard)
at ~ 450 - 500 m depth
methodological laboratory
(former train tunnel) in
sediments (hard clay), 250m
depth
Preparation
for
implementation
of
the
geological
disposal
programme
Research for the DGR
POSIVA
ANDRA
IRSN
HU
Planned
Western
Mecsek
Western
Mecsek
Planned
PURAM
BCF
PL
PURL
Minister
of
Economy,
Polish
Geological Institute
–
National Research
Institute and other
interested
institutes
51
50
51
Several Member States carry out experimental work in the
Grimsel Test Site
(Switzerland), which is in
operation since 1984. The facilities in grey are not in operation any longer.
The minister responsible for the economy, the Polish Geological Institute
–
National Research Institute
(PIG-PIB) and other interested institutions to sign an agreement for supporting the concept of deep disposal
of radioactive waste and the construction of an URL and initiating integrated research in these areas.
45
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RO
52
SE
Planned
̈sp̈ HRL
On
the
selected site
North
of
Oskarshamn
2030
In operation since
1995
Closed in 1991
Stripa mine
Confirm the suitability of the
underground conditions
Granite, 200 - 500 m depth;
Used for research activities on
performance of barriers for
spent fuel disposal.
Granite, former iron ore mine
at 360 - 410 m research from
1977 - 1991
SKB
SKB
Member States with nuclear programmes have presented in different level of detail their research
programmes, towards development of disposal solutions for spent fuel and radioactive waste.
France, Finland and Sweden have advanced research plans and detailed milestones for their deep
geological disposal of spent fuel with the aim to start the geological facilities operation by 2030.
In light of the longer timescales for the other nuclear power plant countries (see Table 7) they
presented in more general terms the research and development activities and timeframes
concerning final disposal of ILW, HLW and spent fuel. A few Member States recognize the need
for research in management of exotic waste/fuel, while the institutional waste is usually not
mentioned separately.
The majority of research activities in Member States' with nuclear programmes are undertaken by
the licensee and/or dedicated research organisations. In some Member States (less than a third) the
competent authorities have their own research programmes (including funding) that support the
independent regulatory oversight.
Member States with research reactors address the research and development measures in the
reports, however in most cases without clear roadmap/milestones for final disposal. Member
States using radioactive sources only do not have their own research programmes as most of them
rely on shared disposal solutions, and participate or plant to take part in international programmes
or projects (e.g. the International Atomic Energy Agency, European Commission) in line with
their radioactive waste management needs.
2.2.7. Transparency
Member States’ programmes shall include the national policy/process for transparency required
by Article 10 of the Directive. They shall ensure that necessary information on the management of
spent fuel and radioactive waste is made available to workers and the public (including the one
from the competent regulatory authority) and that the public is given the necessary opportunities
to participate effectively in the decision-making process in accordance with national legislation
and international obligations.
Overall the majority of Member States have reported on the policy frameworks they have put in
place in order to ensure transparency. This information covered the relevant legislation,
mechanisms for public information, consultation and public participation.
According to Member States' notifications transparency is required at the national level by the
constitution, general laws, environmental laws, nuclear laws, radioactive waste management,
radiation protection or energy laws.
Member States apply the transparency requirements via different mechanisms adopted to allow
information and involvement of the public, local communities and other stakeholders in spent fuel
and radioactive waste management presented in Table 12 below.
52
The National Agency for Radioactive Waste is responsible for the research and development.
46
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Table 12. Overview of main information and involvement mechanisms
1. Information
2. Consultation
3. Participation
a. Internet
b. Printed information
c. Public events
d. Media relations
e. Other tools
a. Public meetings and
workshops
b. Surveys and opinion polls
c. Public consultations/hearings
d. Other tools
a. Working groups
b. Voluntary
arrangements
c. National
commissions
d. Advisory bodies
In general, the Member States' national programmes and reports contain a details on how Member
States allow and provide information and ensure opportunities for public consultation (e.g. in the
framework of SEA and environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures). The Commission
noted that in some case, information on the transparency policy and its implementation in practice
has not been included in the national programme as required by Article 12(1)j of the Directive but
rather in the Member State's report, or vice versa.
Almost all Member States have clearly indicated the responsibility of the national regulator to
provide information to the public about the safety and security of nuclear energy decisions and
activities, including spent fuel and radioactive waste management. In some cases, Member States
specify that the public can access the regulator's acts on the basis of the right of public access to
official records if such acts are not covered by secrecy. Some Member States have reported that
documents about the licensing procedure of nuclear and radioactive waste management facilities
are made public and easily accessible on the authorities' websites as requested by national laws.
National laws also assign a legal obligation of information to the licence holders (i.e. operator of
nuclear facilities or implementer for radioactive waste management facilities): e.g. licence holders
have a duty to inform the general public and the affected local community. Finally, other bodies
(usually at ministerial level) may also be responsible for the provision of information.
Information to the public and other stakeholder is provided by Member States through several
mechanisms that can be summarized as follows:
a) Internet
–
mostly reported tool, mainly in the form of corporate websites;
b) Printed information
–
e.g. newsletters (or e-newsletter), leaflets, brochures and
publications; studies and reports (e.g., annual reports, progress reports and technical
reports;
c) Public events
–
e.g. exhibitions, public conferences and presentations;
d) Media relations
–
e.g. press releases, press conferences, TV programmes, newspaper
article or insert, etc. Official journals are also used for information, for instance about new
legislation and regulation;
e) Other tools - social media and blogs as their channel of communication with the public;
information centres (for instance those located in a given facility's site) and open days
(such as site visits).
Most Member States' national programmes are public documents that have been used as an
instrument for informing the general public about national policy and plans for spent fuel and
radioactive waste management. Although the techniques for information are similar both in
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Member States with nuclear power plants and without nuclear power plants, these techniques and
their use are explained more in detail by Member States with nuclear power plants.
The majority of Member States have mechanisms in place to ensure public information and
opportunities for public consultation in line with Article 10 of the Directive (e.g. in the framework
of strategic environmental assessment and environmental impact assessment procedures).
However, about half of the Member States have not reported on mechanisms in place to ensure
public participation in the decision-making process beyond public consultation, such as working
groups, advisory bodies or national commissions. Member States should in the future present or
explain further the extent of public involvement in the decision-making for spent fuel and
radioactive waste management.
In general institutions exist at the local level (e.g., municipalities) and regional level (e.g.,
counties) to ensure representation of local interests in the national policy-making. In addition,
mechanisms for participation have been reported aiming to enhance participation of citizens in the
decisions about radioactive waste management, particularly in the case of those localities that are
directly involved in the storage and disposal of radioactive waste. These mechanisms of
participation of stakeholders are:
-
Working groups - involving (in a formal way) representatives from a broad range of
interests, from state authorities, regulators and implementers to associations from the civil
society and non-governmental organisations; focus on a specific project (e.g., deep
geological disposal) or can be used for the preparation of strategic documents. Bodies for
local information (called "commissions", "committees", etc.) are also established in
several Member States on specific nuclear power plant or radioactive waste management
sites, as well as associations of local governments created with the purpose of information
and social monitoring of given Radioactive Waste management facilities.
Voluntary arrangements
–
allowing local communities to express their support or dissent
about radioactive waste management projects.
National commissions - promoting public participation in radioactive waste management.
Advisory bodies - involving state and non-state actors (often at the national level).
-
-
-
With regard to the principle of public information and participation in international law, less than
half of Member States refer explicitly to the application of the Aarhus and Espoo Conventions in
their programmes and reports, although all EU Member States are parties to these international
legal instruments.
3.
CONCLUSION
The Commission has reviewed the notified national reports of all Member States and the national
programmes of 27 Member States submitted until September 2016. Having reviewed these
notifications, the Commission prepared its first report to the Council and the European Parliament
on implementation of this Directive. It identified progress, trends and challenges in the spent fuel
and radioactive waste management.
The next Member States reports to be submitted to the Commission are due by 23 August 2018.
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