ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
DE LA COMMISSION 
 
 
 
COLLECTION RELIEE DES 
DOCUMENTS "COM" 
 
 
 
 
COM (85) 713 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0 249 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation. 
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen 
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983, 
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003 
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit 
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5 
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben. 
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C0M185) 713 final  
Brussels, 10 December 1985*
i
REPORT BY THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
the application of Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty in 1984
COM(85) 713 final

Report on the application of 
Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty in 1984
1) Introduction
In its resolution of 20 November 1980 on the siting of nuclear power 
stations in frontier regions, the European Parliament requested the 
Commission to draw up an annual report on the application of Article 37 
of the Euratom Treaty.
This article imposes the following obligation on Member States in respect 
of the disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear installations :
Article 37
"Each Member State shall provide the Commission with such general data 
relating to any plan for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever 
form as will make it possible to determine whether the implementation 
of such a plan is liable to result in the radioactive contamination 
of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.
The Commission shall deliver its opinion within six months, after 
consulting the group of experts referred to in Article 31".
The inaugural report COM (82) 455 final*) which covered the period 1959 
to the summer of 1982 provided a detailed description of the procedure 
followed in formulating such opinions, the main aspects considered when 
examining a disposal plan, and the experience thereby acquired.
The present report, covering 1984, gives therefore only a brief outline 
of the procedure and thereafter confines itself to the projects examined 
during this period.
2) Article 37 application procedure
The Commission Recommendation of 3 February 1982 on the application of 
Article 37**) defines, inter alia, the sense of "general data" for both 
preliminary and definitive communications and lays down the procedure to 
be followed by the Member States for communicating disposal plans to the
Commission.
*) COM (82) 455 final: Report from the Commission to the Council and to 
Parliament - Application of Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
**) OJ L 83 of 29 March 1982

-  2 -
1. Preliminary "general data"
In the case of plans for the disposal of waste from nuclear power stations 
and nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, the Recommendation calls on Member 
States to submit preliminary "general data" to the Commission before 
permission for construction is granted by the competent national 
authorities.
An annex to the Recommendation specifies the "preliminary data" to be 
submitted, which data are forwarded by the Commission to the group of 
experts referred to in Article 37.
2. Definitive "general data"
The Recommendation provides for the "general data" for all disposal plans 
to be submitted whenever possible one year, but not less than six months, 
before the planned date of commencement of disposal of radioactive waste.
The Commission consults the group of experts referred to in Article 37, 
which examines the plan and submits its conclusions to the Commission.
On the basis of these conclusions and before expiry of the period of 
six months laid down in the Treaty, the Commission delivers its opinion 
on the project. This opinion is sent to the Government of the Member 
State which submitted the plan and to any neighbouring Member States 
concerned.
3. Disposal plans received in 1984
The Commission received the preliminary "general data" for two and the 
definitive "general data" for four nuclear installations. The distance 
of each installation from the nearest neighbouring Member State, the type 
of installation and the dates of communication of the plans to the 
Commission and of delivery of an opinion are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
For completeness a communication for which the procedures were completed 
in 1984 is included in Table 2 although the communication was received 
in 1983..

TABLE 1 
TABLEAU 1
Preliminary communications 
Communications préliminaires
Project Member State------ ---------------- ---------- -
Type 
of installation Distance to the 
nearest Member StateDate of communci- 
cation to the 
Commission
Projet Etat membre Type d'installation 
*)Distance de l'Etat 
membre le plus 
procheDate de la 
communication 
à la Commission
ISAR II D P WR
1300 MWe170 km (I)2/84
THORP UK Reprocessing plant 
Usine de retraitement185 km (Ir)6/84
*) P.W.R.:  Pressurised Water Reactor
Réacteur à Eau Pressurisée

TABLEAU I
Final communications 
Communications définitives
-----------------------------------------------------------— T
Project Member State Type of installation Distance to the 
nearest Member 
StateDate of communi­
cation to the 
CommissionDate of communi­
cation of 
Commission's 
Opinion
Projet
1
1Etat membre Type d'installation 
*)Distance de l'Etat 
membre le plus 
procheDate de la 
communication 
à la CommissionDate de 
l'émission de 
l'avis de la 
Commission
KRB II D BWR
1249 MWe170 km (F + I) (11/83) 5/84
GROHNDE D PWR
1290 MWe160 km (NL) 3/84 9/84
GORLEBEN D Storage of spent fuel 
and low active waste
Stockage du combus­
tible irradié et de 
déchets de faible 
activité170 km (DK) 3/84 9/84
PHILIPPSBURG 
(Unit/ 
tranche 2)D PWR
1268 MWe35 km (F) 4/84
|10/84
GRAVELINES 
(Units/ 
tranches 5+6)F!
IPWR
2x925 MWe30 km (B) 
55 km (UK)7/84
i(1/85)
*) P.W.R.:  Pressurised Water Reactor
Réacteur à Eau Pressurisée
B.W.R.:  Boiling Water Reactor
Réacteur à Eau Bouillante

- 5 -
4) Comments and conclusions
1. The preliminary "general data" received in 1984 referred to a nuclear power 
station and to a fuel reprocessing plant.
2. Opinions were delivered on final communications concerning three nuclear 
power stations equipped with light water reactors (one communication 
having "been received in late 1983) and one storage facility for irradiated 
fuel and low active waste. In addition the procedures were largely completed 
for a further nuclear power station, the data for which were received in 
the second half of I 984.
3. In all of the opinions issued it was concluded that the releases oi 
radioactive effluents foreseen in routine operation or which might 
arise in accident situations of the type and magnitude considered 
would not he liable to result in the radioactive contamination, 
significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or 
airspace of another Member State.