A4-0354/98

Resolution on the decommissioning of nuclear power stations and other nuclear installations in Europe

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy (A4-0354/98),

A. whereas a significant number of nuclear installations in the European Union will reach the end of their operational lives in the next decade and will need to be decommissioned,

B. whereas the problem of the final disposal of highly radioactive waste has not been solved,

C. whereas preventive action to protect public health has a higher priority than any other objective,

D. whereas the decommissioning of nuclear facilities is rapidly developing into a significant industrial activity in many EU Member States,

E. whereas this development has been strengthened by the support for research into decommissioning which has been provided by the EU's R& TD programme,

F. whereas decommissioning strategies have been developed in parallel to dismantling techniques, both by the industry and the Commission, for more than 20 years,

G. whereas the Community's continuous efforts to foster the EU´s R& TD programmes in the field of nuclear decommissioning over the last two decades have resulted in a high level of European expertise,

H. whereas, when nuclear power stations are decommissioned, intermediate and low-level radioactive waste (components) will be produced which are quite different from the current (principally medical) waste,

I. whereas, owing to the variety of construction parameters and types of nuclear installations, decommissioning techniques have been developed for each particular type of installation and therefore cannot easily be harmonised,

J. whereas state-owned and privately owned nuclear operators have developed different financing mechanisms for decommissioning,

K. having regard to European Parliament and Council Directive 96/92/EC concerning the common rules for the internal market in electricity ((OJ L 27, 30.1.1997, p. 20.)) and particularly its provisions on transparency of accounts,

L. whereas there is no clear EU recommendation with respect to compulsory provision for the financing of decommissioning,

M. whereas the closure of nuclear facilities is bound to have a considerable socio-economic impact on the local population,

N. whereas the limited availability of information about nuclear decommissioning has an unhelpful influence on public opinion,

O. whereas social acceptance of decommissioning and disposal of radioactive waste is a prerequisite for the future development of nuclear energy,

P. whereas the public will have more confidence in decommissioning strategies and technologies if they are presented and debated in a spirit of openness and transparency,

Q. whereas a secure energy supply is crucial for industrial development, international competitiveness and environmental protection,

R. whereas the future enlargement of the EU will result in increased demand for decommissioning activities,

S. whereas closure and decommissioning of the nuclear installations for political reasons, before reaching the natural end of their operability, is not economically justified and results in a high financial burden on citizens and tax-payers,

1. Welcomes the efforts of the Commission in the field of research into nuclear facility decommissioning but draws attention to the fact that this does not absolve the undertakings operating nuclear power stations from their obligation to carry out research at their own expense;

2. Emphasises that the powers and responsibilities for any decommissioning of nuclear installations fall within the remit of the operators and the Member States;

3. Calls on the Commission to take action to maintain the EU´s high level expertise in the field of nuclear decommissioning;

4. Calls for decommissioning techniques to be developed which are designed to meet the most stringent requirements of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation ((OJ L 159, 29.6.1996, p. 1-114.));

5. Urges the Commission to take further steps to ensure the dissemination and transfer of research findings generated by its R& TD programmes on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, including the countries of Central and Eastern Europe;

6. Emphasises the importance of long-term technical assistance to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the field of nuclear decommissioning;

7. Stresses the need for more transparency and closer cooperation among all parties involved in nuclear research and decommissioning, the industry, government agencies, research bodies etc., in order to enhance communication with citizens and monitoring of R& TD results, taking advantage of the experience acquired in projects successfully completed within the EU´s R& TD programmes;

8. Calls on the Commission to contribute to public knowledge and perception as regards issues related to the decommissioning of nuclear installations and their social, economic and environmental consequences;

9. Calls on the nuclear industry to take a proactive role in educational and information activities aimed at raising public awareness of decommissioning;

10. Calls on the Commission to study the financial principles and techniques used for raising funds for decommissioning in Western Europe and to consider how they might be applied to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, subject to strict compliance with the provisions of Directive 96/92/EC referred to above;

11. Calls on the Commission to further improve its communication with the general public regarding the EU´s R& TD programmes related to nuclear research in general and decommissioning in particular;

12. Calls for transparency vis-à-vis the public to be enhanced by means of substantially easier access to research findings;

13. Recommends that scientific expertise, sound economic assessment of the real costs, and clear scientific evidence should always be considered prior to any decision taken in respect to the operation or closure of nuclear installations;

14. Calls on the Commission to carry out a study into the remaining useful life of nuclear power stations, taking account of the fact that their useful lives can now be extended to 50-60 years, as is the case in the United States, and of the technological improvements required if the current installations are to continue to be used for that purpose in the future;

15. Calls on the Council and Commission to encourage the closure of unsafe nuclear power stations in Europe;

16. Recognises that different systems require different techniques of decommissioning and that there are strong arguments in favour of both direct complete dismantling and staged decommissioning; decisions should be taken principally on the basis of estimates of the exposure to radiation of the workforce and the public caused by the various methods available;

17. Draws attention to the need to avoid mixing different types of radioactive waste and uncontaminated material;

18. Calls on the Commission to review the possibility of reducing the volume of waste to be managed as being radioactive, to analyse the possibility of defining techniques for declassifying some of that waste because of its low level of radioactivity and to assess the possible uses of some of the material obtained during the dismantling of these installations;

19. Calls on the Commission to analyse the possibility of cutting the costs of decommissioning in Europe and of reducing the quantities of final waste by means of recycling and by finding a use for the material obtained from decommissioning;

20. Welcomes the intention of the Commission to publish a communication on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and calls on the Commission to specify in that communication the legal provisions (acquis communautaire) with which new Member States must comply with regard to the construction, operation and possible decommissioning of nuclear installations and in the various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle;

21. Proposes that, as the dismantling of nuclear plant produces large quantities of low-level radioactive material, and material which has been in a radioactive controlled area may not be released into unrestricted circulation, a new category of waste, 'very low-level radioactive waste', should be defined, to be covered by waste management and final disposal plans drawn up to follow the French model;

22. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Council.