WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1762/96 by Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN to the Commission. Storage of radioactive material in border areas
Date: 1996-07-03
Institutions: European Parliament, OOMEN-RUIJTEN
Subjects: North Rhine-Westphalia, environmental protection, frontier region, health risk, public health, radioactive waste, storage of waste













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91996E1762

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1762/96 by Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN to the Commission. Storage of radioactive material in border areas  


Official Journal C 365 , 04/12/1996 P. 0031 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1762/96 by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE) to the Commission (3 July 1996)Subject: Storage of radioactive material in border areasThe increasinguse of temporary storage of radioactive material in facilities near borders is leading to growing insecurity among the population in the neighbouring Member State.1. Will the Commission indicate which Community legislation gives the citizens, environmental groups and local authorities concerned the opportunity genuinely to exercise their right to a healthy environment?2. Will it state whether current Community legislation provides adequately for the exercise of those rights?3. Does it consider that it makes sense to strengthen cooperation between the Member States politically and legally?Joint answer to Written Questions E-1762/96, E-1763/96 and E-1764/96 given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (16 September 1996)All Member States operate interim storage facilities for radioactive waste, pending availability of final disposal facilities for certain categories or all types of waste. Member States are responsible for licensing and control of these installations, but protection of the population in the Member State and the Member States has to be in line with the provisions of the Basic radiation protection safety standards (Council Directives 80/836 and 84/467 Euratom). Permissible doses have been lowered in the recently adopted standards (Council Directive 96/29/Euratom) which has to be implemented in national regulations before 13 May 2000.Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty requires that each Member State provides the Commission with data relating to any plan of disposal of radioactive waste when implementation may lead to contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State. In its recommendation of 7 December 1990 (91/4/Euratom) on the application of Article 37, the Commission proposes to include storage facilities in this procedure.The proposed revision to Council Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment ((OJ L 175, 5.7.1985. )) not only includes interim storage facilities but also incorporates more detailed procedural requirements on transboundary consultations where a project proposed in one Member State is likely to have a significant effect on the environment of another Member State. If adopted in their present form by the Council, however, these new provisions will still only apply to applications for development consent submitted to a competent authority on or after the date for transposition by Member States set out in the revised directive.