10. 9. 79 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 227/29 
quantities  of radioactive  waste.  Even  though  this  is 
generally  low-activity  waste  which  has a shorter  life than 
the waste  produced  by power  reactors,  the quantities 
Done  at Brussels,  23 May  1979. involved  are enormous.  The Committee  would  like to see 
the Commission  make  a study  of the problems  of this 
radioactive  waste  from  non-nuclear  energy  sources. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO 
ANNEX 
to the opinion  of the Economic  and Social  Committee 
The following  amendment  was  rejected: 
Paragraph  9 
Delete  the second  sentence: 
'Research  programmes  must  therefore  be developed  to guarantee  a satisfactory  solution  — from  the 
angle  of public  safety  — to the problems  raised  by radioactive  waste.  Furthermore,  the management  of 
waste  should  be the direct  responsibility  of the public  authorities  since  in some  cases  it involves  several 
generations.  People  are  rightly  very  concerned  over  the problem  of storing  radioactive  waste  which 
has not yet been  resolved  in an acceptable  manner.  Not  only  must  people  be informed  objectively,  they 
must  also  be involved  properly  in the decisions.  The  further  expansion  of nuclear  energy  should  be 
made  dependent  on an acceptable  solution  being  found  to the problems  of radioactive  waste  storage 
and the safety  of workers,  those  living  nearby  and  the  public  in general.' 
Voting 
For:  2; against:  majority;  amendments:  5. 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Decision  for a research  and training  programme  for the 
European  Atomic  Energy  Community  on the plutonium  cycle  and  its safety 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 100 of 21 April  1979,  page  9. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 14 March  1979  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 168th 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 22 and  23 May  1979. 
The full text of the opinion  is as follows: 
No C 227/30 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 10. 9. 79 
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  on 
14 March  1979  for an opinion, 
Having  regard  to the  decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
3 April  1979  instructing  the  Section  for  Energy  and 
Nuclear  Questions  to draw  up an opinion  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the  Committee's  positive  opinion  of 
17 July  1974  on the  proposal  for a Council  Regulation 
establishing  a reasearch  and  training  programme  for the 
European  Communities  on  plutonium  recycling  in 
light-water  reactors  (x) and  its positive  opinion  of 12 July 
1978  on the proposed  extension  of this  programme  (2), 
Having  regard  to the Committee's  opinions  of 27 April 
1978  on (a),  the communication  from  the Commission 
to the  Council  entitled  'The  fast-breeder  option  in the 
Community  context  —  Justification,  achievements, 
problems  and  action  perspectives'  (b),  'The  points  for a 
Community  strategy  on the  reprocessing  of irradiated 
nuclear  fuels'  and  (c),  the  communication  from  the 
Commission  to the  Council  on a Community  plan  of 
action  in the field  of radioactive  wastes  (3) (4) (5), 
/Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the  Section  for 
Energy  and  Nuclear  Questions  at its 48th  meeting  held 
on 27 April  1979, 
Having  regard  to the  Oral  report  submitted  by  the 
rapporteur,  Mr von  der  Decken, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 168th  plenary 
session  held  on 22 and  23 May  1979  (meeting  of 23 May 
1979), 
Whereas  nuclear  energy  is of importance  for the energy 
supply  of the Community; 
Whereas  the  use  of plutonium  as a nuclear  fuel  can 
reduce  the Community's  dependence  on energy  imports; 
Whereas  the first  plutonium  programme  was  and  is to be 
the first  part  of a longer-term  programme, 
I1) OJ No C 125,  16. 11. 1974,  p. 50. 
(2) OJ No C 114,  7. 5. 1979,  p. 1. 
(J) OJ No C 269,  13. 11. 1978,  p. 15. 
(4) OJ No C 269,  13. 11. 1978,  p. 18. 
(5) OJ No C 269,  13. 11. 1978,  p. 12. HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
with  no votes  against  and  five  abstentions: 
1. On  5 July  1978  the Committee  endorsed  a one-year 
extension  (to  31 December  1979)  of the  research  and 
training  programme  for  the  European  Atomic  Energy 
Community  on  plutonium  recycling  in light-water 
reactors.  The  Committee  particularly  emphasized  the 
need  for careful  preparation  of a follow-up  programme, 
which  it considered  to be absolutely  necessary. 
2. The  Committee  approves  the  present  proposal.  It 
has the following  comments  to make. 
3. For  a review  of the Community's  energy  situation 
and the role  of nuclear  energy,  the Committee  refers  to 
the paper  on energy  objectives  for 1990  and  programmes 
of the Member  States. 
4. The  importance  of plutonium  as a nuclear  fuel 
stems  from  the  fact  that  the  Community  is far  from 
self-sufficient  in uranium.  Dependence  on  imports 
should  be therefore  reduced  by  using  plutonium.  If 
dependence  on imports  is to be reduced  in the long  term, 
plutonium  will  have  to be recycled  for use in light-water 
reactors  and  in fast  breeders.  Recycling  would  also  avert 
a growth  in plutonium  stocks,  which  has  become  a 
special  safety  problem. 
5. The  increasing  use  of nuclear  energy,  and  the  fact 
that several  Member  States  have  decided  to reprocess 
LWR  fuel  elements,  means  that  substantial  amounts  of 
plutonium  are going  to be in circulation,  approximately 
20 tonnes  annually  by 1990,  and  correspondingly  more 
by the turn  of the century. 
6. The  successful  first  plutonium  programme  made  it 
possible  to work  out a very  precise  follow-up  programme 
which  has  clear  aims,  and  concentrates  on the  safety  of 
the plutonium  fuel  cycle.  The  Committee  welcomes  this. 
7. The  Committee  emphasizes  that  the main  objective 
of the programme,  as specified  by the Commission,  is to 
'ensure  safety  in the use of plutonium  as a nuclear  fuel  so 
as to enable  all  those  involved  (parliamentarians, 
governments  and  industry)  to determine  their  attitude  to 
the use  of plutonium  fuels  with  a full  knowledge  of the 
facts'.  The  communication  of  this  knowledge  is 
extremely  important  for  the  public  at large  and  the 
nuclear  industry. 
10. 9. 79 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 227/31 
8. The  Committee  is pleased  that,  alongside  external 
safety,  the  programme  also  covers  the  safety  and 
protection  of people  working  with  plutonium.  The  first 
programme  has  shown  that  the irradiation  of workers 
and the public  which  results  from  plutonium  processing 
can be kept  below  the  levels  permitted  by current 
radiation  protection  standards;  but  the development  of 
alternative  technologies  under  the  programme  is of 
particular  importance,  in view  of the  aim  of reducing 
irradiation  to the absolute  minimum. 
9. Without  going  into  the  technical  details  of the 
programme,  which  embraces  five  projects,  the 
Committee  thinks  that  the programme  is balanced  and 
properly  coordinated  with  the activities  of the Member 
States. 
10. Given  the importance  of cross-frontier  transport 
the relatively  large  appropriation  proposed  for Project  3 
(transport  of plutonium  and  plutonium  fuels)  seems 
justified  in a Community  programme. 
11. The  extremely  important  question  of research  and 
development  work  on safeguards  against  the illegal  use 
of plutonium  is deliberately  dealt  with  only  briefly  in the 
programme.  Within  the  Community,  this  area  is 
Done  at Brussels,  23 May  1979. discussed  and  coordinated  in ESARDA  (European 
Safeguards  Research  and  Development  Association),  and 
the necessary  research  and  development  is dealt  with 
mainly  by Community  establishments  in direct  projects. 
12. The  Committee  refers  to the  international 
discussions  in INFCE  (International  Nuclear  Fuel  Cycle 
Evaluation)  which  are  drawing  to a close.  The  aim  of 
those  technical/political  discussions  is to study  the 
various  nuclear  fuel  cycles  in connection  with  the 
non-proliferation  of nuclear  weapons  and  to conclude 
international  agreements.  In  all  probability,  the 
programme  under  review  is flexible  enough  to 
accommodate  any  INFCE  findings;  but  it should  be 
examined  as soon  as the findings  are announced,  and  if 
necessary  adjusted.  However,  the  decision  on  the 
programme  under  review  should  not be deferred  until  the 
end of the INFCE  discussions,  since  any adjustments  will 
be relatively  minor. 
13, The  Committee  notes  that  the  Advisory 
Committee  on Programme  Management  is to play  its 
now traditional  role,  and  that  the programme  is to be 
reviewed  and  progress  report  drawn  up at the end  of the 
second  year.  The  Economic  and  Social  Committee 
should  be sent  a copy  of the progress  report. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a specific  Council  Directive  on the overall  migration  limit  for the 
constituents  of plastic  materials  and  articles  intended  to come  into  contact  with  foodstuffs 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 141  of 16 June  1978,  page  4. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 13 June  1978  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  198  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 168th 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 22 and  23 May  1979. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: