COMMISSION OPINION

of 3 June 2021

relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the Sizewell C power station site (two UK EPR reactors), located in Suffolk, United Kingdom

(Only the English text is authentic)

(2021/C 221/01)





The assessment below is carried out under the provisions of the Euratom Treaty, without prejudice to any additional assessments to be carried out under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the obligations stemming from it and from secondary legislation (1).

On 17 August 2020 the European Commission received from the Government of the United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, the General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste (2) arising from the Sizewell C power station.

On the basis of these data and additional information requested by the Commission on 27 November 2020 and on 9 February 2021 and provided by the United Kingdom authorities on 12 January 2021 and on 9 February 2021, and the complementary information provided by the representatives of the United Kingdom on 10 February 2021 at the meeting of the Group of Experts (by videoconference) and further information requested on 10 February 2021 (at the end of the meeting) and on 23 February 2021 and provided by the United Kingdom authorities on 15 February 2021 and on 8 March 2021, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

1. The distance from the site to the nearest Member State is 138 km for France.

2. Under normal operating conditions, the discharge of gaseous and liquid radioactive effluents will not be liable to cause an exposure of the population in a Member State that is significant from the point of view of health, in respect of the dose limits laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Directive 2013/59/Euratom) (3).

3. Solid low-level radioactive waste is temporarily stored on site before transfer to disposal facilities authorised by the United Kingdom regulatory authorities. Spent fuel elements and intermediate-level solid waste are temporarily stored on site, awaiting the future availability of a geological repository. Reprocessing of spent fuel is not envisaged.

4. In the event of accidents of the type and associated magnitudes of unplanned releases of radioactive effluents, as considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population in a Member State would not be significant from the point of view of health, in respect of the reference levels laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Directive 2013/59/Euratom).

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever form, arising from the two EPR reactors on the Sizewell C nuclear power station site located in the Suffolk Coast, United Kingdom, both in normal operation and in the event of accidents of the type and associated magnitudes of unplanned release of radioactive effluents, as considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in radioactive contamination, significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of a Member State, in respect of the provisions laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Directive 2013/59/Euratom).

Done at Brussels, 3 June 2021. For the Commission Kadri SIMSON Member of the Commission

(1) For instance, under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, environmental aspects should be further assessed. Indicatively, the Commission would like to draw attention to the provisions of Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU; to Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, as well as to Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and to Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy.

(2) The disposal of radioactive waste in the meaning of point 1 of Commission Recommendation 2010/635/Euratom of 11 October 2010 on the application of Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty (OJ L 279, 23.10.2010, p. 36).

(3) Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation (OJ L 13, 17.1.2014, p. 1).