WRITTEN QUESTION No. 374/98 by Nuala AHERN to the Commission. Assessment of the practice of 'Sham Recovery' by companies contracted to use reprocessing services
Date: 1998-02-24
Institutions: AHERN, European Parliament
Subjects: EU Member State, fuel reprocessing, irradiated fuel, plutonium, radioactive waste, uranium, waste management, waste recycling

9. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 310/55

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 1998)

The Commission is not aware of a premium system or of a Belgian ministerial decision of the kind referred to by
the Honourable Member. The Commission will take up this issue with the Belgian authorities in order to clarify
the position.

(98/C 310/69)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0370/98

by Nuala Ahern (V) to the Commission

(24 February 1998)

Subject: Submission of the Fourth Report of the Standing Working Group on the Safe Transport of Radioactive

Materials in the EU

When does the Commission intend to submit the Fourth Report of the Standing Working Group on the Safe
Transport  of  Radioactive  Materials  in  the  European  Union  to  Parliament,  the  Council  of  Ministers  and  the
Economic and Social Committee respectively? How does DG XVII determine the composition of the working
group? How many experts from non-governmental environment groups are members of the working group, and
what  consultations  does  the  working  group  have  with  non-governmental  environment  groups  and  research
institutes as part of its work?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(27 March 1998)

A draft communication covering the fourth report of the standing working group on safe transport of radioactive
material will be submitted shortly to the Commission for adoption and distribution to the institutions.

The composition of the working group is based on the resolution of the Parliament of 22 January 1982 (1) which
(cid:145)urges  the  Commission  to  create  a  special  working  party  for  the  transport  of  radioactive  substances  and
radioactive  waste,  consisting  of  representatives  of  the  Commission  and  national  experts(cid:146).  The  Commission
undertook,  subsequently,  to  implement  the  request  of  the  Parliament  and  called  upon  the  Member  States  to
designate their national experts in the group.

All designated experts are from the side of the competent authorities and their technical support organisations.
None are from non governmental organizations (NGOs). Nevertheless, concerns expressed by NGOs have been
submitted to the standing working group experts for consideration.

(1)  OJ C 40, 15.2.1982.

(98/C 310/70)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0374/98

by Nuala Ahern (V) to the Commission

(24 February 1998)

Subject: Assessment of the practice of (cid:145)Sham Recovery(cid:146) by companies contracted to use reprocessing services

What  assessment  has  the  Commission  made  of  the  extent  to  which  the  practice  of  (cid:145)Sham  Recovery(cid:146)  ›  an
operation that purports to recover reusable material but in reality amounts to waste disposal › has been used by
companies  contracted  to  use  the  reprocessing  services  of  (a)  BNFL  at  Sellafield,  (b)  UKAEA  Technology  at
Dounreay and (c) COGEMA at La Hague?