National Programmes for Implementation of EU Nuclear Waste Directive

The European Directive establishing “Safe and Responsible Management of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste” (Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM), entered into force 22 August 2011. The Directive was negotiated between the EU Member States and, as required under the EURATOM Treaty, adopted by unanimous vote in the Council. The Member States commit to adopting National Policies in agreement with the best international standards, ensure that a National Framework is available, and establish and implement National Programmes turning the policies into action. Two years after entering into force, the EU Member States need to transpose the Directive into national law. Four years after entering into force, the Member States need to notify to the European Commission their respective National Programmes. The Commission will then assess the National Programmes and ensure that they meet the obligations of the Directive, or require Member State to make improvements. For this purpose, it is favourable to have an open and transparent benchmark concerning expectations on National Programmes. This is true both for the Member States when establishing, implementing and notifying their respec¬tive National Programmes, and for the assessment by the Commission. The European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) was entrusted with the task of generating a corresponding Guide. The Guide is developed over a period of two years, starting directly after the Directive enter¬ing into force. Member States are represented by their ENEF drafting group members, but are also contributing to establishing the Guide by Workshops and invitations to comment. By this approach, the Member States are directly involved in establishing the Guide, and have access to the final Guide two years ahead of deadline for notification of their National Programmes to the Commission. The Guide describes the need to directly link the Policy, the Framework and the National Programme, with a set of quality indicators for assessing the Programmes. It also discusses the waste inventory, including estimates of future arisings, as the basis for defining the actual problem to be tackled. The inventory is also an instrument for ensuring that disposal solutions are allocated to all waste remaining after clearance, processing and treatment. The Guide deals with classical project management as the basis for handling the different waste streams towards their respective disposal end-points. The bulk of the Guide treats the provisions in Article 12.1 where the elements of National Programmes are given. The Guide finally pro¬vides a proposal for a possible structure of a lead document for documenting, disseminating and communicating the National Programme to different stakeholders, but also for notifying the National Programme to the Commission. The paper describes the Guide and the reasoning behind its structure and content. The Guide may be updated as necessary, including through experience feedback in applying it during the two years left until notification after its publication.JRC.E.5-Nuclear chemistr