WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1286/96 by Nuala AHERN to the Commission. European Parliament report on the storage, transport and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels, July 1993
Date: 1996-05-15
Institutions: AHERN, European Parliament
Subjects: environmental protection, fuel reprocessing, irradiated fuel, nuclear fuel, radioactive waste, storage of waste, transport of dangerous goods, waste management













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91996E1286

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1286/96 by Nuala AHERN to the Commission. European Parliament report on the storage, transport and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels, July 1993  


Official Journal C 356 , 25/11/1996 P. 0024 





WRITTEN QUESTION P-1286/96 by Nuala Ahern (V) to the Commission (15 May 1996)Subject: European Parliament report on the storage, transport and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels, July 1993At its July 1993 part-session, Parliament adopted a report by Mr Llewellyn Smith on the environmental and public health aspects of the storage, transport and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels (A3-0220/93 ((OJ C 255, 20.9.1993, p. 255. ))), which included a list of 20 recommendations, some of which called upon the Commission to consult the appropriate trade unions, local authorities and non-governmental organizations in implementation of the recommendations.David Blackman, who works for the British Department of Transport and is a member of the Commission's Standing Working Party on the Transport of Radioactive Materials, admitted at a conference in London on 25 April 1996 that the Commission had not yet implemented these resolutions and had not consulted relevant NGOs such as Greenpeace International or the Öko Institut because, 'they are not supported by Member State governments'. (quotation taken from the transcript)Will the Commission make a statement on its failure to implement the resolution in the Smith Report and give a commitment that it will now take steps to consult environmentalist NGOs in developing strategy and the placing of research contracts by its Standing Working Party on the Transport of Radioactive Materials?Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (17 July 1996)The Commission strongly endorses the provision of information to the public at large on the various aspects of nuclear power. There is no reason why only a selected audience should be privileged, as recommended by the Smith report.On the specific topic of radioactive waste, the Commission continues to provide information to the public as required by the Council Resolution of 15 June 1992 ((OJ C 158, 26.6.1992. )) on the Community plan of action in the field of radioactive waste and the Council Resolution of 19 December 1994 ((OJ C 379, 31.12.1994. )) on radioactive waste management. In this context, it should be noted that the fourth report, describing in detail the situation of radioactive waste management in the Community, is now in preparation. It should be published within the next twelve months.The effective management of radioactive waste is under the responsibility of the Member States concerned. If consultations have to be organized in this area, it is for the Member States to foresee them.Recently, a public call for proposals in the field of transport of radioactive material has been published ((OJ C 136, 8.5.1996. )). The proposals will be submitted for selection to the Commission's standing working group on safe transport of radioactive material, according to established order of procedure.