Second report on Member States implementation of Council Directive 2006/117/EURATOM on the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel

Background and further information:

All Member States in the EU produce radioactive waste, generated by different facilities (e.g. nuclear power plants, research reactors) and activities, such as radioisotope applications in medicine, industry, agriculture, research and education. Radioactive waste is defined as radioactive material in gaseous, liquid or solid form for which no further use is foreseen. In addition, the operation of nuclear power and research reactors also generates spent fuel. Spent fuel is defined as nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in and permanently removed from a reactor core. It may either be considered as usable resource that can be reprocessed or be destined for final disposal with no further use foreseen.

When spent fuel and radioactive waste are generated they are stored prior to possible (re)processing and disposal. From the sites where these materials have been generated or managed, spent fuel and radioactive waste are transported mainly by road, rail or sea and in limited cases by air. Import, export and transit of radioactive waste and spent fuel through Member States are regular practices in the EU. Movement of such material, also referred to as shipment, occurs in the majority of Member States regardless of the scale of their nuclear programmes.

Council Directive 2006/117/EURATOM lays down a Community system of supervision and control of transboundary shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel, so as to guarantee an adequate protection of the population. It ensures that Member States concerned are informed about shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel to or via their territory with the obligation to give either their consent or reasoned refusal to the shipments. The Directive complements Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM which focuses on the policy and responsibilities for long term management of radioactive waste and spent fuel.

This is the second report from the Commission on the implementation of Council Directive 2006/117/EURATOM, providing an overview of the respective shipments and related aspects. It provides complementary information to the Commission's Report on the implementation of Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM.

EUR-Lex: SWD(2018)4: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the report http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2018:004:FIN

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