Commission Opinion of 31 May 2012 relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from Units 3 and 4 of the Mochovce nuclear power plant (two VVER 440/V-213 reactors), located in Slovakia, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
Date: 2012-05-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Slovakia, nuclear accident, radioactive pollution, radioactive waste, waste disposal








C_2012158EN.01000101.xml










5.6.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 158/1





COMMISSION OPINION
of 31 May 2012
relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from Units 3 and 4 of the Mochovce nuclear power plant (two VVER 440/V-213 reactors), located in Slovakia, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
(Only the Slovakian text is authentic)
2012/C 158/01
The assessment below is carried out under the provisions of the Euratom Treaty, without prejudice to any additional assessments to be carried out under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the obligations stemming from it and from secondary legislation.
On 7 December 2011, the European Commission received from the Government of Slovakia, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from Units 3 and 4 of the Mochovce nuclear power plant (two VVER 440/V-213 reactors), located in Slovakia.
On the basis of these data and the complementary information provided by representatives of the government of Slovakia at the meeting of the Group of Experts on 1 and 2 March 2012, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion.






1.


The distance from the site to the nearest Member States' borders is 37 km for Hungary, 85 km for the Czech Republic and 110 km for Austria.










2.


Under normal operating conditions, the discharges of liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents are unlikely to cause an exposure of the population in another Member State that is significant from the point of view of health.










3.


Solid low- to medium-active radioactive waste is treated on site or shipped to the authorised waste treatment facilities at the Bohunice site before transfer to the National Radioactive Waste Repository. Spent fuel elements and high-level solid waste are temporarily stored on site, awaiting the future availability of a deep geological repository. Reprocessing of spent fuel is not envisaged.










4.


Non-radioactive solid waste or residual materials in compliance with clearance levels will be released from regulatory control for disposal as conventional waste or for reuse or recycling. This should be done in compliance with the criteria laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Council Directive 96/29/Euratom).










5.


In the event of unplanned releases of radioactive effluents, which may follow an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population in another Member State would not be significant from the point of view of health.




In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever form from Units 3 and 4 of the Mochovce nuclear power plant (two VVER 440/V-213 reactors), located in Slovakia, is not liable to result in radioactive contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State that would be significant from the point of view of health.

Done at Brussels, 31 May 2012.


For the Commission

Günther OETTINGER

Member of the Commission