No C 125/50 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 16.10.  74 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  adopting  a programme  of research  and 
education  for the European  Atomic  Energy  Community  on plutonium  recycling  in light-
water  reactors 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 68 of 12 June  1974,  page  5. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 9 May  1974,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  170  of the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Atomic  Energy  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its Opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
122nd  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 17 and  18 July  1974. 
The full  text  of the Opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  letter,  dated  9 May  1974,  in 
which  the  Council  of the  European  Communities 
requested  it to deliver  an opinion  on the  proposal 
for a Council  Decision  adopting  a programme  of 
research  and  education  for  the  European  Atomic 
Energy  Community  on plutonium  recycling  in light-
water  reactors; 
Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Atomic  Energy  Community  and  in 
particular  the second  sentence  of the  first  paragraph 
of Article  170  thereof; 
Having  regard  to the  Decision  taken  by its Bureau 
on 17 May  1974,  entrusting  the Section  for Energy 
and Nuclear  Questions  with  the  preparation  of a 
report  and  an opinion  on the matter; 
Having  regard  to the Opinion  unanimously  adopted 
by the  Section  for  Energy  and  Nuclear  Questions 
on 5 July  1974; 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  presented  by the 
Rapporteur,  Mr Schlitt,  at the meeting  of the Section 
on 5 July  1974,  in pursuance  of Article  29 of the 
Rules  of Procedure; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 122nd  plenary 
session  on  17  and  18  July  1974,  sitting  of 
17 July  1974; Whereas  the  faster  development  of nuclear  power 
in the  coming  years  will  lead  to the  production  of 
substantial  quantities  of plutonium  through  the 
operation  of light-water  reactors; 
Whereas  this  fissile  material  will  not  be used  in fast 
breeder  reactors  for a very  long  time  to come,  and 
it is therefore  necessary  to develop  its use  in light-
water  reactors, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION, 
unanimously: 
1. General  comments 
1.1. The  Committee  broadly  welcomes  the  Com-
mission  proposal  for  a programme  of plutonium 
recycling  in light-water  reactors,  covering  the period 
1975  to 1978.  It agrees  with  the  Commission  that 
for economic  reasons  the  increasing  quantities  of 
plutonium  that  will  be produced  in the coming  years 
as more  and  more  nuclear  power  stations  come  into 
operation  should  not  be stored  until  they  can  be 
used  in fast  breeder  reactors.  It will  take  longer  than 
previously  anticipated  before  fast  breeder  reactors 
are in commercial  use.  In general  it is to be expected 
that,  during  the  next  10 years  at least,  production 
of plutonium  will  greatly  exceed  demand.  Substantial 
fast reactor  capacity  is not  really  expected  before 
16.10.  74 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 125/51 
the 90's,  even  in the  countries  which  are vigorously 
pressing  ahead  with  the development  of fast  reactors. 
The economic  disadvantage  of recycling  plutonium 
in thermal  reactors  rather  than  using  it in fast 
reactors  is at least  partly  offset  by the fact  that  the 
plutonium  will  be utilized  earlier  than  it would 
otherwise  have  been  and  that  much  of the  pressure 
will be taken  out  of demand  for  natural  uranium. 
The considerable  expansion  of  nuclear  power 
programmes,  mainly  on  the  basjs  of light-water 
reactors,  makes  it fairly  certain  that,  in spite  of 
recycling,  sufficient  supplies  of plutonium  will  be 
available  in time  for  fast  breeder  reactors  so that 
the earlier  misgivings  about  the  new  expansion 
programme  no longer  exist. that uniform  safety  standards  are  drawn  up in the 
Community  and  appropriate  safeguards  introduced 
to prevent  unauthorized  persons  ever  having  access 
to the  material.  Such  safety  measures  should  also 
cover,  in particular  the  transport  of plutonium  for 
which  practices  still  vary  enormously  from  one 
Member  State  to another. 
1.5. The  Committee  doubts  whether  the studies  and 
research  proposed  by the Commission  are  adequate 
to solve  the  plutonium  recycling  problems  because 
of the  sheer  scale  of this  task.  The  Committee  also 
doubts  whether  the  appropriation  proposed  for  the 
research  programme  is sufficient. 
1.2. Even  so, the Committee  considers  it important 
that the Commission  work  out in good  time  the date 
after  which  plutonium  will  no longer  be recycled  in 
thermal  reactors  but  reserved  for use in fast  breeder 
reactors.  Since  this  stage  will  most  probably  not  be 
reached  in the  coming  ten  years,  extensive  use  of 
plutonium  in thermal  reactors  should  be worthwhile. 
Plutonium  recycling  has  another  advantage,  namely 
it will  give  the industry  in the Member  States  some 
timely  experience  in the safe  handling  of plutonium, 
thus preparing  it for it's future  role  in supplying  the 
fast reactors  with  plutonium  fuel  elements.  Another 
argument  in  favour  or  recycling  is the  quite 
considerable  amount  of plutonium  which  will  be 
produced  in the  coming  years;  it would  not  make 
economic  sense  to store  this  until  it is used  in 
commercial  fast  breeders. 1.6. In this  connection  the  Committee  also 
discussed  the systems  of plutonium  recycling  in the 
USA  and  the  Community,  which  still  differ. 
Experience  in this  field  shows  that  the  Commission 
can play  a major  part  in clearing  up the  remaining 
unsolved  problems  and  questions,  which  effect  all 
Community  countries. 
1.7. The  Committee  regrets  the absence  of proposals 
for research  into  the  reprocessing  of  certain 
plutonium  fuel  elements.  It thinks  that  here  an 
addition  to the  programme  is called  for.  Also, 
criticality  problems  arise  in the  reprocessing  of 
plutonium  fuels,  due  to the higher  degree  of enrich-
ment  of the  plutonium  elements;  a study  of these 
problems  would  be a further  valuable  addition  to the 
indirect  project. 
1.3. The  Committee  thus  agrees  with  the  Com-
mission  that  plutonium  should  not  be stored  until 
required  for use  in fast  breeder  reactors,  but should 
be channelled  into  recycling  as soon  as possible. 1.8. The  Committee  notes  that  the proposed  indirect 
project  has  been  discussed  with  the  interested 
industrial  circles  in'  the Member  States,  and  that 
consultation  of the  Member  States  has  also  been 
arranged  and  produced  broad  agreement. 
1.4. The  Committee  is aware  that  processing  the 
plutonium  produced  in nuclear  processes,  especially 
its yuse  as a nuclear  fuel,  presents  considerable 
difficulties.  Its extreme  toxicity,  even  in minute 
quantities,  demands  stringent  safety  precautions  to 
handling.  In  its  examination  of  the  proposed 
programme  the Committee  therefore  first  dealt  with 
the general  question  of the  public's  safety  from 
uncontrolled  release  of  plutonium.  Its  findings 
convinced  it that  the  currently  applied  safety 
precautions  are  sufficient  to ensure  that  present 
amounts  can  be safely  handled  and  processed.  The 
growth  of plutonium  output  and  hence  of the  total 
processing  of  plutonium,  however,  could  pose 
additional  dangers,  especially  where  unauthorized 
persons  were  able  to gain  possession  of the material. 
Here  the  Committee  considers  it vitally  important 2. Specific  comments 
2.1. Sub-question  2.1. 
Considering  the  importance  of the  problems  and 
the work  involved,  the Committee  regards  the  sum 
proposed  by the  Commission  for  the  part  of the 
basic  programme  under  Section  2.1.  ('Hitherto 
unsolved  scientific  and  technical  problems  likely  to 
arise  during  plutonium  recycling'),  as extremely 
meagre.  In  connection  with  this  part  of  the 
programme  the Committee  would  refer  to the work 
No C 125/52 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 16.10.  74 
of the  Joint  Research  Centre's  Institute  for 
Transuranium  Elements  in Karlsruhe,  which  is 
conducting  basic  research  into  plutonium  and 
transplutonium  elements  as part  of the  JRC  multi-
annual  programme.  The  Section  trusts  that  there 
will be no duplication  between  the work  of the JRC 
Institute  in Karlsruhe  and  the  basic  research  to be 
carried  out  in the  proposed  programme,  and  that 
they be fruitfully  coordinated. 
2.2. Sub-section  2.2. 
The Committee  also  supports  the  proposed  studies 
on safety  and  control,  to which  the  Community  is 
to contribute  1 000 000 units  of account.  Here 
consideration  should  be given  to the  question  of 
whether  plutonium  recycling  should  not  be 
concentrated  on a few  specially  equipped  thermal 
reactors  so as to avoid  adaptation  of all reactors.  In 
addition,  the  extent  to which  development  work  is 
necessary  for  such  adaptations  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  sufficiently  clarified. 
2.3. Sub-section  2.3. 
The post-irradiation  examination  of plutonium  fuels 
to be carried  out  in the  project  is also  in the Committee's  view  an important  task  which  is of 
value  for the development  of plutonium  recycling. 
2.4. Section  3 
The Committee  has  noted  the  exchange  of 
information  proposed  by the Commission  in Section 
3 of the  document  (Promotion  of a concerted 
plutonium  recycling  policy  in  a Community 
framework).  The  Committee  considers  that  it would 
be desirable  to have  such  exchanges  of information 
between  industrial  firms  with  very  different  levels 
of knowledge  and  experience  in the  field  of 
plutonium  recycling,  if at the same  time  the know-
how acquired  by  individual  firms  is adequately 
safeguarded. 
Done  at Brussels,  17 July  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPP  AS 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Directive  amending  Directive  No 71/307/EEC 
on the approximation  of the laws  of the Member  States  relating  to textile  names 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 68 of 12 June  1974,  page  13. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 13 May  1974,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  100  of the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its Opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
122nd  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 17 and 18 July  1974. 
The full  text  of the Opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE,  an  opinion  on the  proposal  for a Council  Directive 
amending  Directive  No  71/307/EEC  on  the 
Having  regard  to the  request,  dated  14 May  1974,  approximation  of the  laws  of the  Member  States 
from  the Council  of the  European  Communities  for relating  to textile  names;