Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of the work under the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme to Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia in 2016 and previous years

This report reviews the progress in 2016 and previous years under the European Union nuclear decommissioning assistance programmes in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia. It fulfils the reporting requirements of the relevant Council Regulations and forms the basis for adopting the 2017 annual work programmes under the assistance programmes. In the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2014-2020), the Commission has reported twice on this subject.

Upon their accession to the EU, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia committed to shut down eight Soviet-designed nuclear power plants before the end of their scheduled lifetime. In exchange, the EU committed to provide financial assistance for decommissioning the designated power plants, namely Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) units 1-4 in Bulgaria, Ignalina NPP in Lithuania and Bohunice V1 NPP in Slovakia.

The objective of the nuclear decommissioning assistance programmes is to assist the relevant Member States in implementing the steady process towards the decommissioning end-state whilst maintaining the highest safety standards. In all three cases, the end-state is defined as brownfield. The disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste in a deep geological repository is not included in the scope of the decommissioning assistance programmes, and has to be developed by each Member State in its national programme for the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste as required by the relevant directive.

ESO: Background information: EU nuclear decommissioning assistance programmes in Lithuania, Bulgaria and Slovakia: some progress made since 2011, but critical challenges ahead http://www.europeansources.info/record/special-report-no-22-2016-eu-nuclear-decommissioning-assistance-programmes-in-lithuania-bulgaria-and-slovakia-some-progress-made-since-2011-but-critical-challenges-ahead/

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