(2004/C58E/140) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2027/03
byErikMeijer(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(18June2003)
Subject:Exemptions to avoid the hazardous storage of radioactive waste in porous ground with no
possibilityofcoolingorretrieval
1. IstheCommissionplanningtoissueadirectiverequiringallpresentandfutureEUMemberStatesto
storeundergroundasfrom2018alltheradioactivewastesofarproduced?
2. IstheCommissionawarethattherearemajordifferencesinthesubsoilofEUMemberStates,which
rangesfromhardvolcanicrockandflexiblesaltstratathroughporouslimestoneandclaytoloosecoarse-grainedsediment(sand)andmaterialfromdeadplantsandtreesbuiltupoverthecenturies(peat),whichmeansthattheoptionsforstoringwasteundergroundalsovarysignificantly?
3. WhatviewdoestheCommissiontakeoftheopinionofexpertsthatthewasteshouldalwaysbekept
coolandthatitshouldberetrievableatanytime,ifitemergesthatthisisnecessaryorthatundergroundstoragecanhaveunexpectednegativeeffectsongroundwater,theusabilityofthegroundabovestoragesites,soiltemperature,etc?
4. IstheCommissiontakingaccountthefactthatmuchofthesubstratumintheNetherlandsconsists
of sand saturated with water, clay and peat and that following discussions during the 1980s theundergroundstorageoptionwasruledout,notleastbecauseofthenatureofthesubsoil?
5. IstheCommissionawarethatintheNetherlandsEUR110millionhasbeenspentsince1993on
storingalltheradioactivewastefromnuclearpowerstations,industry,hospitalsandresearchinstitutesforatleastonehundredyearsatBorseleinCOVRA,aconcretebunkertobecompletedbytheendof2003withverythickwallscapableofwithstandingfloodingandaircraftcrashes,andthatthefirstconsignments
havenowbeentransportedtothesiteamidconsiderablepubliccontroversy?
6. WhatexemptionscantheCommissionoffertheNetherlands/dashandotherMemberStatesthatfind
themselvesinasimilarposition/dashfromitsplannedundergroundstoragerequirements?
AnswergivenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(17July2003)
1. The Commission has adopted a proposal for a Council Directive on the management of spent
nuclearfuelandradioactive waste(
1).TheaimofthisDirective istoestablishlong-termmanagement
programmesforthismaterialorientedtowardsdisposalwheneverpossible.WherethereisnosuitablealternativetodisposaltheDirectivewouldrequiregeologicaldisposalsitestobeavailableby2018forthedisposal,ofthemosthazardouscategoriesofradioactivewaste.Wastemanagementprogrammesmay,underverystrictconditions,includeshipmentsofwastetoanotherMemberStateorthirdcountryinfullcompliance with existing norms and in agreement with the receiving State. This could facilitate thedevelopmentofcommondisposalfacilitiesthroughco-operationbetweendifferentStates.
2. ThePAGIS(
2)studyconductedwithintheCommunityResearchFrameworkProgrammeshowedthe
widespreadavailabilityofsuitablehostrockformationsthroughouttheUnion.Thesearespecificallyclay,saltandcrystallinerockstrataordeposits.
3. Heat generation is an important characteristic of high-level waste and this must be taken into
considerationinthedesignandoperationofdisposalsystems,especiallyasregardsmaximumpermissiblegenerationratescommensuratewithadequatesafetyandnegligibleimpactonhostrockcharacteristics.C58E/124 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Majorresearchprojectsarecurrentlyunderwaytoassesstheseimpacts.Retrievabilityofthewasteisa
naturalresultofthe‘concentrateandcontain’strategyemployedinradioactivewastemanagement.Whatiscrucialisthatanymeasurestoenhanceretrievabilitydonotcompromiseoverallsafety.
4. TheCommissionplacesthehighestpriorityonsafety,anddisposalistheonlyoptioncapableof
guaranteeinglong-termsafetyandprotectionoftheenvironment.IndividualdifferencesbetweenMemberStateswerenotspecificallyaddressedinthecurrentproposals,buttheCommissionconsidersthereisadequateflexibilityinitsmeasurestoallowallMemberStatestofindappropriatesolutions.WithregardstotheDutchsub-soil,thePAGISstudymentionedaboveindicatedtheexistenceofsuitablesaltdeposits.
5. Yes.6. TheCommissionconsidersthatthecurrentproposalsalreadyoffersignificantflexibilitytoallowfor
differencesbetweenMemberStates.TheCommissionhasmadeitclearthatitisreadytocontinuethediscussionsonitsproposalswiththeMemberStatesintheCounciltoseeifsuchflexibilitymightbefurtherenhanced.
(1) COM(2003)32final.
(2) Performanceassessmentofgeologicalisolationsystems.
(2004/C58E/141) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2036/03
byChrisDavies(ELDR)totheCommission
(18June2003)
Subject:TreatyonAustrianaccessiontotheEU
According totheAustrian Embassy,under the1995Treaty onAustrian accessiontothe EUAustria
receivedtwoguaranteesfromtheCommission:
1. inordertoimproveairpollution,emissionswouldbereducedpermanentlyby60%,and
2. aEuropeanframeworkguaranteeingasustainabletransportpolicygoverningtrafficforallofEurope
wouldbeinplacebythetimethattheagreementexpired.
WhendoestheCommissionintendtoputforwardproposalsforsuchlegislation?
AnswergivenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(16July2003)
When Austria joined the Union, the Council asked the Commission to propose the adoption of a
frameworkaimedatresolvingtheenvironmentalproblemscausedbyheavygoodvehicles(seeDeclaration34annexedtotheAdhesionActofAustria).
Withaviewtoimplementingthisframework,theCommissionpresentedaworkingdocument(
1)and
proposals,interalia,intheareaofroadchargingandrailwaypolicy.
Asfarasroadchargingisconcerned,aproposalforaDirectiveonthechargingofheavygoodsvehicles
for the use of certain infrastructures(2) was put forward, which became the so-called ‘Eurovignette-
Directive’(3).ThisproposalcontainedamongstotherthingsthepossibilityforMemberStatestoapply
higherratesinsensitiveareas.Thisandothernovelaspectsoftheproposalwere,however,notadoptedbytheCommunitylegislator.
As far as railway policy is concerned, the Commission presented in the late 1990s the first railway
package,whichwasadoptedin2001andpresentedasecondrailwaypackagein2002,whichisnowbeingdebatedintheCouncilandParliament.6.3.2004EN C58E/125 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion