No C 105/42 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 4. 79 
It also endorses the proposal to authorize the marketing 
of meat from boars used for breeding provided they have 
been castrated at least six weeks before slaughter. 
5. The Committee would, however, point out that it is 
now technically feasible to use equipment to measure 
smell and taste. This possibility should therefore be taken 
into consideration now and the development of such 
equipment and methods should be encouraged as a 
matter of priority. Such methods would make for a 
Done at Brussels, 29 November 1978. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 7 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 28 May 1978 for an opinion, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
18 October 1978 instructing the Section for Energy and 
Nuclear Question to draw up an opinion and a report on 
the matter, more satisfactory solution to the problems involved, 
particularly as far as consumers are concerned. 
6. Finally the Committee would point out in 
connection with the present proposal, that Directive 
77/99/EEC of 21 December 1976 concerning health 
problems affecting intra-Community trade in meat 
products comes into force on 1 January 1979. Directive 
77/99/EEC stipulates inter alia that only fresh meat 
complying with the Directive on fresh meat may be used 
in meat products. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section for 
Energy and Nuclear Questions at its 43 rd meeting held 
on 10 November 1978, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 163rd plenary 
session held on 29 and 30 November 1978 (meeting of 
29 November), 
Having regard to the oral report submitted by the 
rapporteur, Mr Friedrichs, 
Whereas, in its study of 28 April 1977, the Committee 
called for the adoption of a Community nuclear safety 
code to cover all fields of nuclear energy research and Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a programme concerning the 
decommissioning of nuclear power plants 
(Doc. COM(78) 167 final) 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 146 of 21 June 1978, page 3. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 8 May 1978 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and 
Social Committee in accordance with Article 7 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 163rd 
plenary session held in Brussels on 29 and 30 November 1978. 
26. 4. 79 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 105/43 
application, including the decommissioning of nuclear 
plants; 
Whereas the programme of action of the European 
Communities of the environment, approved by the 
Council on 17 May 1977 (x), underlines the need for 
Community measures on the decommissioning of 
nuclear power plants; 
Whereas, although decommissioning techniques will 
only be required in future after nuclear plants have been 
taken out of service, it is necessary to pursue the 
development of these techniques now, in order to perfect 
their application and to ensure their timely availability, 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 
by a majority with one vote against: 
1. General comments 
1.1. Every nuclear power plant, just like any other 
industrial installation, will have to be taken out of service 
one day. Nuclear power plants, however, pose special 
problems because of the presence of radioactive 
substances. Therefore, special measures must be taken to 
protect man and his environment from the moment a 
plant is taken off stream right through to its final 
decommissioning ('complete removal'). After a plant has 
been retired from service — an operation which also 
includes the removal of the nuclear fuel and other 
radioactive materials and waste — there are three further 
stages in the plant's decommissioning according to a 
distinction drawn by the International Atomic Energy 
Agency. These three stages may be referred to in brief as 
the 'mothballing', 'entombment' and 'complete removal' 
of the plant. 
1.2. Some studies have shown that 'as regards 
decommissioning, modern nuclear power plants pose no 
fundamental difficulties'. However, as relatively little 
practical experience has been gained in this field so far, 
the Committee thinks that decommissioning criteria 
should be the subject of future studies. According to the 
Commission, 20 nuclear power plants have been taken 
out of service in the Western world to date, including five 
in the Community. However, these have been relatively 
small one-off plants with a relatively short operating life 
and in most cases decommissioning has not progressed 
beyond stage one (shutdown and surveillance of the 
plant). In addition, some experience of the 
decommissioning of major power station components 
has been acquired. 
1.3. In view of this situation, the Committee would 
underline the advisability and necessity of stepping up 
research and development work on nuclear power plant 
(J) OJ No C 139, 13. 6. 1977. decommissioning and welcomes the Commission's 
intention to make a contribution towards a joint 
Community-wide effort by supplementing the work of 
the Joint Research Centre (which only embraces certain 
basic aspects of the decontamination of components and 
does not deal with the economic aspects, radiation 
protection and large-scale industrial usage) with a 
programme for indirect action. 
1.4. The Committee agrees that the proposed 
Community programme for indirect action should not 
lead to a duplication of work. It also notes that the 
programme may be reviewed at the end of two years in 
order to ensure that as much relevant data as possible is 
obtained over the five-year period. 
2. Specific comments 
2.1. The individual research and development 
projects proposed by the Commission as part of the 
Community programme meet with the Committee's 
approval. The Committee assumes that radiation 
protection standards will, of course, be applied in full 
when decommissioning work is carried out. It would, 
however, point out that one of the main points to be 
borne in mind when developing decommissioning 
techniques is that the cumulative dose received during 
decommissioning work and hence the number of 
workers exposed to radiation must be kept to a 
minimum, with radiation protection standards being 
observed in the process (cf. Study of the Economic and 
Social Committee of 28 April 1977 on a Community 
nuclear safety code). In this context allowance should be 
made for the fact that decommissioning work is normally 
spread over a long period. Furthermore, the Committee 
would draw the Commission's attention to the special 
safety problems which might be posed by the transport, 
storage and disposal of the dismantled equipment. 
2.2. The Committee also gives its express support to 
the Commission's plan for the Community to participate 
in a pilot project on the subject of nuclear plant 
decommissioning. It can be expected that valuable data 
for future research programmes will be obtained from 
such a project. The Committee hopes that a concrete 
proposal will be able to be submitted in the foreseeable 
future. 
2.3. Although the Committee is convinced that many, 
if not most, of the problems associated with the 
decommissioning of nuclear power plant are the same for 
all reactor types, it does feel it is important to point out 
that various types of reactors are in operation in the 
Community and that problems which the 
decommissioning of specific reactors may pose should 
not therefore be neglected. In view of the relatively small 
funds provided by the Commission for its proposed 
programme, it would be highly advisable to coordinate 
national research work from this angle in particular. 
No C 105/44 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 4. 79 
2.4. The Committee thinks that the question of 
decommissioning costs also deserves some attention. 
Although it is aware that initially it will be extremely 
difficult to say anything more than the fact that probable 
decommissioning costs will be limited and will not 
impair the efficiency of nuclear energy in principle, it 
thinks that this question should be examined in greater 
depth in view of the desire for the price of nuclear energy 
to be commensurate with costs. 
2.5. One important point is the link between research 
into the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and 
the building of features into new plants which will make 
them easy to decommission. The Commission has 
Done at Brussels, 29 November 1978. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 7 
thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of the 
European Communities on 8 May 1978 for an opinion, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
18 October 1978 instructing the Section for Energy and 
Nuclear Questions to draw up an opinion and a report 
on the matter, already referred to this matter. The Committee would 
add that the completion of the programme should not be 
awaited before studying his link. Instead it would be a 
sensible idea to take available knowledge on this subject 
into consideration in the design of new plants while the 
programme is still in progress. 
2.6. The Committee believes that the findings of the 
research and development projects should help towards 
the drafting of Community rules for the 
decommissioning of nuclear power plants, after 
representatives of the Member States and operators and 
workers in the industries in question have been 
consulted. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Fabrizia BADUEL GLORIOSO 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section for 
Energy and Nuclear Questions at its 43 rd meeting held 
on 10 November 1978, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 163rd plenary 
session held on 29 and 30 November 1978 (meeting of 
29 November), 
Having regard to the report submitted by the rapporteur, 
Mr Bonety, Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a research programme for the 
European Atomic Energy Community on safety in thermal water reactors 
(Doc. COM(78) 166 final) 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the European 
Communities No C 146 of 21 June 1978, page 2. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 8 May 1978 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic and 
Social Committee in accordance with Article 7 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 163rd 
plenary session held in Brussels on 29 and 30 November 1978.