No C 102/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 4. 89 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision adopting a research and technological 
development programme for the European Atomic Energy Community in the field of the 
decommissioning of nuclear installations 
(89/C 102/15) 
On 19 September 1988 the Council, acting in accordance with Article 170 of the Treaty 
establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, asked the Economic and Social 
Committee for an Opinion on the abovementioned proposal. 
The Committee instructed its Section for Energy, Nuclear Questions and Research to prepare 
its work on the matter. The Section adopted its Opinion on 3 February 1989 (rapporteur: 
Mr von der Decken). 
The Committee adopted the following Opinion, by a unanimous vote, at its 263rd plenary 
session (meeting of 22 February 1989). 
The Committee approves the draft Council Decision 
but wishes to make the remarks set out below: 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The proposed programme is part of the overall 
research work on the safety aspects of nuclear fission. 
Under the framework programme of Community activi­
ties in the field of research and technological develop­
ment (1987-1991) (l) the main aim of this research is to 
reinforce the scientific and technical base necessary to 
strengthen the safety of nuclear power stations and 
other nuclear activities. 
1.2. In addition to the decommissioning of nuclear 
plant, these research activities involve the safety of 
reactors, the management of radioactive waste and the 
surveillance of fissile materials, which are covered by 
separate programmes. 
1.3. The Committee welcomes the Commission's 
desire to pursue and indeed to extend its research work 
in the field of decommissioning nuclear plant and it has 
noted with considerable interest the results already 
obtained from the 1984-1988 programmed). 
1.4. In its Opinion of 27 November 1986 (3) on the 
Commission proposal with regard to the framework 
programme, the Committee underlined the fact that the 
Chernobyl accident had led to a state of emergency in 
the field of nuclear safety and called for an intensifi­
cation of research and development work. 
1.5. It should also be pointed out that since the 
EC research work on the decommissioning of nuclear 
installations began in 1979, the number of nuclear 
power stations which have been definitively closed 
down has increased from five to seventeen. 
(') OJ No L 302, 24. 10. 1987, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No L 36, 8. 2. 1984, p. 23. 
(3) OJ No C 333, 29. 12. 1986, p. 45. 1.5.1. The main reason for decommissioning is that 
the nuclear plant concerned has come to the end of its 
specified operating life. Alternatively, particularly in 
the case of the older plant, the cost of making safety 
modifications necessary to bring it into line with the 
state of the art is so expensive that its continued oper­
ation is no longer justified. 
1.5.2. It is estimated, on this basis, that by the year 
2000 or thereabouts the figure will increase to fifty, 
even without counting nuclear fuel-cycle facilities, 
reprocessing installations and research reactors which 
are closed down. 
1.6. Thus, despite the fact that the level of technical 
knowledge in the field of the decommissioning of 
nuclear plant has been increasing over the last ten years, 
the number of major nuclear installations which have 
been shut down and the 'considerable' number of forth­
coming closures referred to by the Commission will 
mean that the dismantling of the installations will be a 
particularly acute problem. 
1.7. In the Committee's view the decommissioning 
of nuclear plant provokes considerable public attention 
and concern. It is thus very important for the continued 
acceptability of nuclear plant that decommissioning 
operations be carefully carried out and be trouble-free. 
2. General comments 
2.1. The Committee underlines the fact that no 
appraisal of the programme proposed by the Com­
mission can disregard the basic aim of the programme, 
namely to reinforce in the Community the scientific 
and technical basis necessary to strengthen safety and 
afford increased protection to people and the environ­
ment against the dangers of ionising radiation, both 
during and after the decommissioning and final dis­
mantlement of the nuclear plant concerned. 
2.1.1. In the Committee's view these safety pro­
visions do not apply just to the general public; they 
cover, in particular, persons involved in the decommis­
sioning work and the handling of waste products. The 
24. 4. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 102/23 
training and staff exchange measures proposed by the 
Commission are welcomed. 
2.2. The Committee considers that the activities set 
out in the proposed 1989-1993 programme, which 
includes the majority of the subjects covered by the 
current programme due to expire on 31 December 1988, 
are in line with the abovementioned aim and meet the 
needs of the situation described in points 1.5 and 1.6 
above. 
2.3. The Committee would also draw attention to 
the importance of the additional aims which, in the 
Commission's view, the proposed programme should 
help to achieve, namely: 
— extending the data bases for decommissioning cost 
estimates and, where possible, helping to reduce 
these costs. Through its participation in associated 
R&D projects the EC is meeting the commitment 
set out in point 2.1 above. The Committee considers 
that the Commission should draw attention in the 
programme to the additional obligation on the part 
of the operators of nuclear plant to make financial 
provision for the decommissioning of their plant. 
The experience gained through the operation of the 
programme should also, in the Committee's view, 
be used in order to help establish a unified method 
for assessing decommissioning costs, 
— speeding up the achievement of a consensus on a 
Community policy for decommissioning in order to 
provide the bases for a 'decommissioning industry' 
in the Community. 
2.4. The Committee also considers that the Com­
mission should draw up Directives on radiation protec­
tion and, in particular, limit values for radiation protec­
tion to be observed in the decommissioning of nuclear 
plant and the storage or release of radioactive waste. 
These limit values must be binding upon all EC Member 
States. 
2.5. The Committee therefore reiterates the Com­
mittee's support for the research programme on the 
decommissioning of nuclear installations, as last ex­
pressed in its Opinion of 23 November 1983 (1). The 
Committee also gives its general approval to the con­
tents of the proposed programme. 
2.6. The Committee does, however, regret that there 
is still no overall survey of the work being carried out 
in this field at national level, a shortcoming already 
highlighted in the abovementioned Committee 
Opinion. In the absence of such a survey it is not 
possible to give an opinion on the extent to which 
national and EC activities are complementary or even 
on the extent to which there may be duplication. 
2.6.1. The same applies also to the remaining 
research projects in other fields with similar objectives, in particular the TELEMAN programme (2) on which 
the Committee was asked to give a separate Opinion. 
The Committee calls upon the Commission to maintain 
appropriate intercommunication and, at all events, to 
avoid duplication. 
2.7. The Committee regards the proposed significant 
increase in the funding for the programme as justified 
and gives its approval to the proposal. It is proposed 
to increase the funding from the 12,1 million ECU 
allocated under the current programme (1984-1988) to 
31,5 million ECU for the period 1989-1993. 
2.8. As the programme is essentially to be 
implemented by means of shared-cost contracts, the 
overall funding should be of the order of 60 million 
ECU. 
2.9. The Committee fully recognizes the fact that the 
public is badly acquainted or totally uninformed about 
matters relating to the decommissioning of nuclear 
plant. For this reason the Committee considers that 
more publicity should be given to decommissioning 
work. 
2.10. In this connection support should be given to 
a recommendation made by the Scientific and Technical 
Committee (STC) in its Opinion which is appended to 
the draft Council Decision. The STC calls upon the 
Commission to ensure 'the widest possible dissemi­
nation of both results from its own programme and, as 
far as it can do so, the other programmes being carried 
out by the Member States'. It is also essential that this 
information be provided in a comprehensible form. 
3. Specific comments 
3.1. Guideline breakdown of appropriations 
3.1.1. As was the case with the previous programme, 
the proposed new programme comprises three sections 
covering the same subjects. The guideline breakdown 
of appropriations is as follows: 
— Section A: research projects: 7,2 million ECU, 
— Section B: identification of guiding principles: 0,3 
million ECU, 
— Section C: testing of new techniques in practice: 21 
million ECU. 
A sum of 3 million ECU has also been set aside to cover 
administrative and staff costs. 
3.1.2. The Committee wonders why such a small 
sum has been set aside for Section B in the proposed 
breakdown of appropriations. Section B covers the 
areas in which the Commission proposes to identify 
guiding principles. These principles will be of particular 
importance in respect of the aims of the programme, 
both as regards nuclear safety and the definition of an 
EC policy on decommissioning. 
(•) OJNoC23, 30. 1. 1984, p. 8. (2) OJ No C 311, 6. 12. 1988, p. 6. 
No C 102/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 4. 89 
3.1.3. As it has already stressed in point 2.4 above, 
the Committee attaches particular importance to the 
introduction of generally applicable Directives. The 
sum which has been provisionally allocated in this field 
therefore appears to be inadequate and it should be 
increased. 
3.2. Testing of new techniques in practice 
3.2.1. The Committee approves the emphasis which 
the proposed programme places on field testing of new 
techniques, and the proposed sum set aside. 
3.2.2. The funds are to be concentrated on four 
selected pilot projects. In the Committee's view it is 
important that these funds are used exclusively for the 
purpose of tackling key problems and/or for field test­
ing of newly developed processes. Use of the funds as 
a demolition grant should be avoided. 
3.2.3. The Committee also welcomes the proposal 
to earmark part of the funds for the testing of newly 
developed alternative techniques. 
3.3. Removal and storage of radioactive waste 
3.3.1. The removal and storage of radioactive waste 
is an issue which is very closely bound up with disman­
tling. 
3.3.2. The Committee recognizes that the removal 
and storage of radioactive waste comes under a separate 
research programme currently being implemented. The 
Committee is, however, surprised that the Commission 
does deal with this issue in any detail but merely draws 
attention to the need to develop strategies for the man-
Done at Brussels, 22 February 1989. agement of radioactive waste produced as a result of 
the dismantling of nuclear installations, in the light of 
the existing or projected reprocessing and final storage 
facilities available in the Member States. 
3.3.3. The Committee calls upon the Commission 
to give detailed consideration to this matter and, if 
necessary, to draw up proposals, bearing in mind the 
wide-ranging implications not only for the programme 
under review but also for the protection of human 
beings and the environment in general. 
3.4. Forwarding to the Economic and Social Com­
mittee of the results of the review of the pro­
gramme and the evaluation report 
3.4.1. Under Article 4 of the draft Decision the Com­
mission is to undertake a review of the programme in 
its third year of operation and to report to the Council 
and the European Parliament on the results of the 
review. Here, once again, no mention is made of the 
Economic and Social Committee. Reports on the evalu­
ation of the results of the programme are likewise to 
be forwarded only to the Council and the European 
Parliament. 
3.4.2. The Committee therefore reiterates the request 
which it has already made on many earlier occasions 
that express provision be made in the Commission 
documents for both of the abovementioned reports to 
be transmitted to the Economic and Social Committee, 
especially in view of the fact that the first and second 
paragraphs of Article 4 are not in accordance with 
Article 7 of the Euratom Treaty, which forms the legal 
basis for the draft Decision. It is stated in the fifth 
paragraph of Article 7 of the Euratom Treaty that 
'the Commission shall keep the Economic and Social 
Committee informed of the broad lines of Community 
research and training programmes'. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE