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European Governance in nuclear issues
Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations Transport of Radioactive Material |
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Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations|European regulatory aspects of decommissioning of nuclear installations |Review of work on the preparation of a Commission Communication on decommissioning |Decommissioning status of shutdown nuclear installations in the EU |Forecast shutdown dates for nuclear power plants in the EU new member states and candidate countries |Shutdown nuclear power plants in the New Independent States OverviewIn the package of legislative proposals in the field of nuclear safety, adopted on 30 January 2003, the Commission is proposing Directives on the management of radioactive waste and on the setting out of basic obligations and general principles on the safety of nuclear installations, which includes important requirements affecting decommissioning funds.
On 4/6/2003, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the internal electricity market (see EP press note) that involves a compromise on the matter of decommissioning funds. The Commission has stated the importance of ensuring that these resources are used transparently and for the intended purposes only, and as part of the compromise the Commission confirmed its intention of drafting an annual report on the use of funds set up for decommissioning and waste management in connection with the Euratom Treaty. The format and modalities of this reporting will be established in early 2004.
After 20 years of EU research and development programmes on decommissioning, with the process having reached industrial maturity, the time is now ripe to review the environmental and regulatory related issues. The issues surrounding the distribution of responsibilities connected with decommissioning; the management policy of materials and waste; radiation protection; the impact on the environment; public perception; the technical approach and the financial aspects should be addressed. The decommissioning of nuclear facilities and the management of their waste involves environmental, technical, social and financial responsibilities. It is not always clear who will bear these different responsibilities for the decommissioning of existing nuclear installations up to the final stage. Until now, decommissioning projects have often been regulated on a case-by-case basis and on the initial build-up of experience in this field. There is a marked difference in decommissioning strategies between individual Member States. The development of common approaches based on a "Code of Conduct" within the EU on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities should result in improved protection of the population and of the environment and in a more standardised technological approach resulting in, inter alia, a reduction in the volume of waste produced. Harmonisation of decommissioning practices in the Member States and the development of specific regulations covering decommissioning should make regulatory decisions easier, more efficient and transparent. This would facilitate public involvement in the decision making process. At present, there are numerous gaps in the third party nuclear liability and environmental liability regimes dealing with decommissioning. This is a particular problem in the light of the enlargement of the EU and the increased number of decommissioning operations foreseen for the near future. Decommissioning costs might represent up to 50% of the discounted investments made for the nuclear part of a power plant. They must be fully taken into account in generating costs. Sound financial provisions for decommissioning should reduce the potential burden on future generations. An environmental threat could exist if adequate financial provisions have not been built up in good time. This may be the case in some applicant countries. Large volumes of material are produced during decommissioning activities and the environmental and financial costs of disposal of this material as waste can be very significant. Consequently, the minimisation of waste is important in the management of these projects. Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) includes the decommissioning of nuclear power reactors in the list of projects to be subjected to an EIA. Formally, the Directive sets out the broad principles of the environmental assessment system. At first sight, the existing decommissioning plans in most of the countries inside and outside the EU focus only on radiological impact assessments rather than the wider EIA covered by the Directive. The final decommissioning of a nuclear installation as part of a global environmental restoration strategy is of great concern to the public. Public concerns may include aspects such as what will happen to the waste and the potential lengthening of decommissioning time-scales. In addition, there is concern about leaving the waste to be dealt with by future generations. Even if the existing decommissioning regulations and procedures protect workers and the general public, people still need to be informed of the preventive measures taken. Decommissioning operations and the related strategy decisions should be undertaken in a spirit of transparency and openness, with the involvement of the public and an understanding of their concerns. With this in mind, the Commission services are studying the following strategy and policy aspects of decommissioning in the EU:
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Decommissioning is the final phase in the
lifecycle of a nuclear installation, covering all activities from shutdown and
removal of fissile material to environmental restoration of the site. At present,
over 110 nuclear facilities within the Union are at various stages of the
decommissioning process and it is forecast that at least a further 160
facilities will need to be decommissioned over the next 20 years (within the
present 15 Member States). Enlargement of the Union would contribute to a rapid
increase in the number of nuclear facilities to be decommissioned (at least a
further 50 facilities).
Since 1979, the European
Commission has conducted four successive five-year research and development
programmes on the decommissioning of nuclear installations, performed under cost
sharing contracts with organisations from the European Union. The main objective
of these programmes was, and is, to establish a scientific and technological
basis for the safe, socially acceptable and economically affordable
decommissioning of obsolete nuclear installations