WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2547/98 by Hiltrud BREYER to the Commission. Shipments of nuclear waste
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: BREYER, European Parliament
Subjects: EU Member State, France, Germany, International Atomic Energy Agency, approximation of laws, nuclear safety, radioactive waste, safety standard, transport of dangerous goods

14.5.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 135/71

these results once available and to consult all relevant Member States to ensure that the lessons learned are
widely disseminated and appropriate actions taken at national and Community levels.

2.
According to Article 3 of Council Directive 92/3/Euratom of 3 February 1992 on the supervision and
control of shipments of radioactive waste between Member States and into and out of the Community (1),
‘the transport operations necessary for shipment shall comply with Community and national provisions
and with international agreements on the transport of radioactive material’.

In the present case national provisions which are in conformity with Annex VII of the RID (Regulations
concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail) have been violated by operators. The
RID is Appendix B of the Convention concerning international carriage by rail (COTIF). Council
Directive 96/49/EC of 23 July 1996 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States with regard to
the transport of dangerous goods by rail (2) introduces the RID as a mandatory text for national and
intracommunity transport.

It is for the national authorities to ensure that the situation is rectified. The Commission will verify that the
necessary measures have been taken at national level.

(1) OJ L 35, 12.2.1992.
(2) OJ L 235, 17.9.1996.

(1999/C 135/083)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2547/98

by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Shipments of nuclear waste

1.
The Commission set out the guidelines for the disposal of radioactive matter and fuel elements in a
communication in 1994. It proposed harmonising the definition and categories of radioactive waste,
establishing common strategies for reprocessing, reducing the volume and the transport of radioactive
waste and drawing up plans to improve safety of disposal, in particular storage. Does the revelation that
limit values have been exceeded for nuclear waste shipments from the Federal Republic and Switzerland
to France mean that there is now a need for the Commission to take action?

2.
The transport rules for maximum exposure are based on IAEA recommendations currently in force.
For non-fixed contamination on the surface of containers and vehicles the rules provide the following limit
values: 4 Bq/cm2 for beta and gamma emitters and 0,4 Bq/cm2 for alpha emitters. The limit values are
precautionary measures laid down for the protection of persons handling shipments.

3.
Does the Commission regard exceeding by up to 5000 times the limit values for the shipment of
radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuels pursuant to the IAEA rules as unacceptable, and what
conclusions does it draw?

(1999/C 135/084)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2548/98

by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Shipments of nuclear waste

The IAEA’s Safety Series 37 explains that if the recommended decontamination measures are observed
there should be no question of the limit values being exceeded. However, occasional values in excess of