WRITTEN QUESTION E-3299/97 by Angela Sierra González (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (20 October 1997)

Subject: Transport of plutonium between France and Japan

Recent reports in the European media indicate that since December, a large number of vessels carrying plutonium derived from highly dangerous reprocessed radioactive waste have been using a number of transport routes between France and Japan.

The route, which has been opposed on previous occasions by numerous Community and non-Community countries, takes these vessels through waters belonging to various Community countries and, in the case of Spain, bring them close to Galician and Canary waters.

Various experts claim that an accident to the vessel and the consequent release of plutonium could have disastrous consequences for the marine environment.

Is the Commission aware of these facts?

Does the Commission think, taking the safety of the marine environment and above all of the coastal populations into account, that this dangerous transportation of plutonium is permissible?

Does the Commission know whether Directive 92/3/Euratom ((OJ L 35, 12.2.1992, p. 24. )) of 3 February 1992 concerning 'supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste between Member States in and out of the Community', is being complied with, particularly as regards authorizations for transit through the various Community countries and security?

Does the Commission know if the shipment in question respects the spirit of the European Parliament's resolution of 6 July 1988, concerning the results of the Committee of Inquiry into the handling and transport of nuclear material?

What measures does the Commission intend to take to ascertain the conditions under which waste is being shipped by sea? Does the Commission believe that shipments of this type should be done away with?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (21 January 1998)

Taking into account the present level of protection realised in transporting packages used for the transport of plutonium shipped in conformity with the International maritime dangerous goods (IMDG)-code ((IMDG: code reflecting under class 7 (radioactive material) the requirements of the IAEA-Advisory 'Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material', Safety Series No 6, 1985 Edition (as amended 1990). )) and the Irradiated nuclear fuels (INF)-code ((IMO-Resolution A.748(18) 'Code for the safe carriage of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Wastes in Flasks on board Ships'. )) of the International maritime organisation (IMO) there are generally no special routing restrictions for safety reasons.

On the contrary, it is important to remember that Member States have the exclusive control over the level of physical protection, including routing, based on international conventions, as far as the transportation of nuclear material within the Community is concerned and the right to conclude any specific agreement that may be proposed for shipments out of the Community.

According to Directive 93/75/EEC ((OJ L 247, 5.10.1993. This Directive is being amended in order to incorporate the radioactive materials covered by the Irradiated Nuclear Fuels (INF) Code of the IMO. )), the operator of a vessel carrying dangerous or polluting goods, including nuclear materials, leaving a port of a Member State, or leaving a port outside the Community and bound for a port of a Member State, has to notify to the competent authority a number of items of information, notably the intended route of the vessel. The purpose of this procedure is to improve information of national authorities in case of a maritime accident involving dangerous substances carried on board a vessel. In addition, the Commission has proposed, through the so-called Eurorep Directive ((OJ C 22, 26.1.1994. )), adopted by the Commission in December 1993, to complement the system set up by Directive 93/75/EEC with a fuller reporting system applicable to ships navigating off the coasts of Member States. Nevertheless, it is not foreseen that the Commission is involved in the notification process.

Furthermore, nuclear spent fuel, which may be reprocessed, and the plutonium recovered, as a result of the reprocessing, are not to be considered as waste and by consequence not the subject of Council Directive 92/3/EUR of 3 February 1992 mentioned by the Honourable Member. That Directive is, however, applicable to the waste material resulting from the reprocessing operation.