WRITTEN QUESTION E-1707/02 by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Dialogue on radioactive waste.
Date: 2002-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EAEC, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Nuclear Energy Agency, access to information, conference proceedings, dissemination of EU information, radioactive waste, the EU's international role

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/215

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(11 July 2002)

Chapter IX of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (‘Euratom’) creates a
‘Nuclear Common Market’: Article 93 of the Euratom Treaty obliges Member States i.a. to abolish between
themselves all quantitative restrictions on imports and exports in respect of products defined in List A1
contained in Annex IV to the Euratom Treaty. Although spent fuel does not as such figure in this list, its
components do. Therefore, spent fuel is included in the common market rules of the Euratom Treaty.

If spent fuel is imported exclusively for permanent storage and not for reprocessing, no further use of it is
foreseen and it becomes radioactive waste as defined in Article 2 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) (‘Shipments Directive’). As radioactive waste, Article 6 of this
Directive allows a refusal of its importation on a case by case basis under the specific conditions of its
Article 3. For spent fuel, which is not considered as radioactive waste the general rules of the Common
Nuclear Market as established in Chapter IX of the Euratom Treaty apply.

Concerning Directive 92/3/Euratom, the Commission is indeed preparing a revision of this Directive
following the recommendations of a report drawn up by a group of experts in the context of the SLIM
initiative (‘Simpler Legislation for Internal Market’). It will be proposed that Article 12 of the Directive,
which is not in conformity with the Joint Convention, will be modified accordingly.

(1) ABl. L 35 vom 12.2.1992.

(2002/C 301 E/227)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1707/02

by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 June 2002)

Subject: Dialogue on radioactive waste

What involvement have the Commission, Euratom or the EC Joint Research Centres had in the stakeholder
dialogue on radioactive waste coordinated by the OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency? What resources have
been committed by the Commission to this dialogue? Will the Commission publish regular updates on the
appropriate part of its website on developments in this dialogue?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(16 July 2002)

The Commission is presently represented on the Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA) Forum of Stakeholder
Confidence (FSC) by the Directorates General (DG) for Energy & Transport (TREN) and for Research (RTD).
The Directorate-General for Environment (ENV) was represented in the Forum until the transfer of the
radioactive waste management activity to DG Energy and Transport in 2000.

At least one official has been present at all of the FSC’s meetings and workshops to date. There have been
three meetings and two workshops. Further such events are planned as part of the FSC’s mandate, which
officially expires in 2003 but is likely to be extended until at least the beginning of 2004 to allow two
more workshops to be hosted by Member States of the Nuclear Energy Agency.

All finalised FSC reports are accessible through the NEA’s own Web site (www.nea.fr) under the heading
radioactive waste management. The nominated Commission officials have played an active role in the
activities of the FSC and have provided all the relevant information on such aspects as environmental
impact assessment, public opinion (e.g. results of Eurobarometer surveys) and on-going research into

C 301 E/216

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

aspects of decision-making and governance in the field of radioactive waste management. These officials
also figure among the chairmen and rapporteurs of the first two workshops, the reports of which can be
accessed through the NEA Web site. The information provided to the FSC is based on other publicly
available documentation, also accessible through the Europa Web site.

(2002/C 301 E/228)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1712/02

by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Europe Day Celebrations in schools in the EU

(13 June 2002)

The government of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands has declared 9 May (Europe Day)
a holiday for schools, institutes and universities in its territory, and obliges them to devote the day to
EU-related activities.

Can the Commission provide information on similar initiatives in the other EU countries and regions?
Would the Commission be willing to put forward a proposal for schools throughout the Union to devote
9 May, in coming years, to activities relating to European integration?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2002)

The Commission does not have at its disposal any study giving an overview of the Member States or
regions which might have declared 9 May a lesson-free day which must be devoted to activities relating to
the European Union.

The Commission nevertheless congratulates the authorities of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic
Islands on having taken such an initiative. However, the Commission does not at present have any plans to
submit a proposal for making this a general practice.

It is quite probable that some schools choose 9 May as a symbolic date, but other dates are also suitable
for the theme of European construction. In 2001, for example, thousands of schools took part in a
European Comenius Week from 24 to 27 November 2001; these dates had been chosen in consultation
with the national agencies in the 30 countries participating in the Socrates programme. For 2003, a
number of representatives of Parliament within the Convention have proposed that 21 March be devoted
to a debate on the future of the EU in all secondary-level schools throughout Europe.

The Commission also supports, to the full extent of its means and powers, other initiatives in schools
(‘Europe at school’, European Young People’s Parliaments etc.). It is for each Member State to assume full
responsibility for the organisation of its education system and the content of its programmes.

(2002/C 301 E/229)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1729/02

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission

(17 June 2002)

Subject: Marketing rules in the EU

Is there any prospect of pharmaceutical companies being allowed to advertise their products even if those
products are medicines available on prescription only?