COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee on the implementation by the Member States of Council Directive 2006/117/EURATOM on the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel Second Report
Date: 2018-01-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, application of EU law, cross-border transport, export of waste, nuclear fuel, nuclear safety, radioactive waste, transport of dangerous goods

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 19.1.2018  SWD(2018) 4 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee on the implementation by the Member States of Council Directive 2006/117/EURATOM on the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel Second Report  {COM(2018) 6 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1. 

2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

3.4. 

3.5. 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

4.3. 

4.4. 

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 2 

GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR SHIPMENT OF SPENT FUEL AND 
RADIOACTIVE WASTE ............................................................................................ 4 

STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GENERAL PROVISIONS ................. 6 

Transposition of the Directive ...................................................................................... 6 

Standard document for the supervision and control of shipments ............................... 7 

Competent authorities .................................................................................................. 7 

Transmission ................................................................................................................ 7 

Regular reports ............................................................................................................. 7 

SHIPMENTS OF SPENT FUEL AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN 2012-2014 ..... 8 

Issues reported by Member States when using the standard document ..................... 11 

Information on significant conditions required by the Member States –               
export criteria implementation ................................................................................... 11 

Information on significant cases of refusal to give authorisation/consent ................. 12 

Cross check information ............................................................................................ 13 

ANNEX I .................................................................................................................................. 14 

ANNEX II ................................................................................................................................ 20 

1 

 
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION  

The present Staff Working Document (SWD) is prepared in support of the Commission's second 
report to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee 
implementation  of  Council  Directive  2006/117/EURATOM1  on 
(COM(2018)6)  on 
supervision and control of shipments of spent fuel and radioactive waste by the Member States in 
the  2012-2014  period.  It  is  based  on  the  latest  national  reports  from  Member  States  to  the 
Commission on the implementation of the Directive submitted by January 2016.  

the 

Following  Article  20  of  the  Directive,  Member  States  have  to  report  every  three  years  to  the 
Commission  on  the  implementation  of  the  Directive.  On  the  basis  of  national  reports  the 
Commission  shall,  in  accordance  with  the  procedure  laid  down  in  Article  21  of  the  Directive 
(Advisory Committee), establish a summary report for the European Parliament, the Council and 
the European Economic and Social Committee. In its report the Commission shall pay particular 
attention  to  the  implementation  of  Article  4  on  reshipment  related  to  non-authorised  shipments 
and undeclared radioactive waste. 

The overall purpose of this document is also to provide various stakeholders with information on 
current  radioactive  waste  and  spent  fuel  shipments,  and  their  supervision  and  control  for  the 
purpose of adequate protection of the population. This document provides also an overview and 
specific  information  on  authorisations  for  import,  export  and  transit  through  the  Community 
issued by Member States and summarises the feedback from the Member States in implementing 
the Directive.  
Since the previous reporting period 2008-2011 (see SWD (2013) 150 final2), it is relevant for the 
purposes  of  this  report  to  highlight  Croatia's  accession  to  the  European  Union  (EU)  and  the 
adoption  of  Council  Directive  2013/59/EURATOM3  laying  down  basic  safety  standards  for 
protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionizing radiation, which has entered into 
force and needs to be transposed by Member States by 6 February 2018. 

All  EU  Member  States  produce  radioactive  waste  from  numerous  activities  including  energy 
production,  research,  industrial  and  medical  applications.  In  addition,  those  Member  States 
operating nuclear power plants and research reactors also generate spent fuel. Spent fuel can be 
either  considered  as  radioactive  waste  or,  in  a  "closed  fuel  cycle",  reprocessed  in  the  Member 
State  of  origin  or  abroad  for  further  use4,5.  This  report  covers  both  spent  fuel  and  radioactive 
waste import to, transit through and export from the Community. 

1  

2  

3  

4  

5  

Council  Directive  2006/117/EURATOM  of  20  November  2006  on  the  supervision  and  control  of 
shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel, OJ 337, 5.12.2006, p 21-32. 
Commission  Staff Working Document  SWD(2013)150 final  "Shipment  Directive"  Accompanying  the 
document  Report  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council,  the  European  Parliament  and  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  on  the  implementation  by  the  Member  States  of  Council  Directive 
2006/117  EURATOM  on  the  supervision  and  control  of  shipments  of  radioactive  waste  and  spent 
fuels{COM(2013) 240 final}. 
Council  Directive  2013/59/EURATOM  of  5  December  2013  laying  down  basic  safety  standards  for 
protection  against  the  dangers  arising  from  exposure  to  ionising  radiation,  and  repealing  Directives 
and 
89/618/EURATOM, 
2003/122/EURATOM, OJ L 13, 17.1.2014, p.1. 
Report  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council  and  the  European  Parliament  on  progress  of 
implementation  of  Council  Directive  2011/70/EURATOM  and  an  inventory  of  radioactive  waste  and 
spent  fuel  present  in  the  Community's  territory  and  the  future  prospects,  COM(2017)236  final  of 
15.5.2017. 
For an overview on this topic, the European Commission together with EASAC have issued in 2014 the 
report 
found  at 
http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC84826/jrc-report-anagement-spent-fuel-
and-waste.pdf (Doi:10.2760/25402). 

90/641/EURATOM, 

96/29/EURATOM, 

"Management  of 

97/43/EURATOM 

spent  nuclear 

that  can  be 

its  waste" 

fuel  and 

2 

 
 
 
                                                            
As  of  2015,  nuclear  energy  accounts  for  28%  of  the  domestic  production  of  energy  in  the  EU. 
Fourteen Member States6 are operating 129 nuclear power reactors7 in the Community and three 
Member  States  (Finland,  France  and  Slovakia)  have  plans  for  construction  projects  for  new 
nuclear power plants8. Another eight Member States are in the pre-project phase for building new 
nuclear power plants (UK, Hungary, Poland, etc.) or planning to build new units. 

Most  Member  States  that  currently  operate  nuclear  power  plants  are  considering  lifetime 
extension. In addition, as of January 2016, 90 nuclear power plants were in final shutdown in 11 
Member  States  while  some  of 
in 
decommissioning stage and/or in preparation for decommissioning. Only three reactors have been 
decommissioned so far, all of which in Germany.  

these  Member  States  have  already  some  reactors 

In  addition,  20  Member  States  have  research  reactors  at  different  stages  of  their  lifecycle  – 
operational,  shutdown  or  decommissioning.  Subject  to  the  reactor  design,  Member  States  are 
often depending on supply of nuclear fuel and return of spent fuel to countries external to the EU 
(e.g.  Russia,  USA).  In  most  cases,  there  is  also  an  arrangement  for  return  of  spent  fuel  to  the 
supplier,  which  is  covered  both  by  the  provision  of  this  Directive  and  through  Directive 
2011/70/EURATOM8. 

In addition, some of the fuel cycle facilities, e.g. U-mines, fuel fabrication plants and reprocessing 
plants  came  to  the  end  of  their  lifecycle  or  were  closed  and  are  under  decommissioning  and/or 
remediation.  

All above described activities are generating radioactive waste and/or spent fuel and shipments of 
these  materials  occur  between  Member  States,  as  well  as  for  exports  to  and  imports  to  the 
Community  from  third  countries.  The transport of  these  materials  is  due  to  available  capacities 
for  processing  or  reprocessing  (hence  minimisation  of  waste)  and/or  need  for  safe  long  term 
management (i.e. disposal). It is of utmost importance for the Commission that radioactive waste 
and  spent  fuel  are  managed  (including  transportation)  in  a  safe,  responsible  and  effective  way, 
under the supervision of the national competent authorities. 

The management of radioactive waste and spent fuel is subject to legal requirements with the aim 
to ensure the highest standards of safety and protection of workers and the general public. These 
requirements  stem  from  both  international  and  EU  law.  At  EU  level,  the  new  Basic  Safety 
Standards  Directive  2013/59/EURATOM,  has  an  overall  objective  to  enhance  the  protection 
against the dangers arising from exposure to ionizing radiation. It repeals and consolidates in a 
single  piece  of  legislation  the  provisions  of  five  EU  Directives,  including  the  High-Activity 
Sealed  Sources  Directive9.  In  compliance  with  the  latter  Directive,  EU  Member  States  have 
established  national  electronic  registries  for  radioactive  sources  and  source  holders,  protected 
against  unauthorized  access.  Building  on  that  the  new  Directive  2013/59/EURATOM,  also 
includes  requirements  for  the  management  of  orphan  sources and  contaminated  scrap  metal,  as 
well as on management of material containing naturally occurring radionuclides (NORM). 

Within  the  scope  of  this  comprehensive  EU  framework,  Directive  2006/117/EURATOM 
specifically addresses transboundary shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel, laying down 

6  

7  

8  

9 

The  14  Member  States  that  have  nuclear  power  reactors  in  operation  are  Belgium,  Bulgaria,  Czech 
Republic,  Finland,  France,  Germany,  Hungary,  the  Netherlands,  Romania,  Slovakia,  Slovenia,  Spain, 
Sweden and the United Kingdom (Croatia does not have a nuclear power plant within its own national 
borders, but co-owns with Slovenia the Krško nuclear power plant). 
Communication from the Commission Nuclear Illustrative Programme presented under Article 40 of the 
EURATOM Treaty; Final (after opinion of EESC {SWD(2017)158 final}.  
Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM of 19 July 2011  establishing a Community framework for the 
responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste.  
Council  Directive  2003/122/EURATOM  of  22  December  2003  on  the  control  of  high-activity  sealed 
radioactive sources and orphan sources. 

3 

 
 
 
                                                            
a system of supervision and control for import to, transit through and export from the Community 
aiming at adequate protection of EU population. 

2. 

GENERAL  PRINCIPLES  FOR  SHIPMENT  OF  SPENT  FUEL  AND 
RADIOACTIVE WASTE 

Directive  2006/117/EURATOM  applies  to  shipment  of  spent  fuel  and  radioactive  waste 
whenever  the  country  of  origin,  the  country  of  destination  or  any  country  of  transit  is  an  EU 
Member State. It requires that Member States involved in the shipment (State of origin, State of 
destination and transit State(s)) are informed about any planned shipments on their territories, and 
shall either give their consent or a reasoned refusal to these shipments. 

Under the Directive 2006/117/EURATOM, each Member State should remain fully responsible 
for the choice of its own policy on the management of radioactive waste and spent fuel within its 
jurisdiction. The Directive should therefore be without prejudice to the right of Member States to 
export their  spent  fuel for  reprocessing  or  radioactive  waste  for  processing.  Also  nothing  in  its 
provisions  implies  that  a  Member  State  of  destination  has  to  accept  shipments  of  radioactive 
waste and spent fuel for final treatment or disposal, except in the case of reshipment (return to the 
country of origin). However, any refusal needs to be justified on the basis of the criteria set out in 
the  Directive.  They  should  not  be  arbitrary  and  should  be  founded  on  relevant  national, 
Community  or  international  law.  Moreover,  in  line  with  the  provisions  set  by  the  Joint 
Convention  on  the  Safety  of  Spent  Fuel  Management  and  on  the  Safety  of  Radioactive  Waste 
Management  (further  the  Joint  Convention),  the  Directive  (Article  16)  prohibits  the  export  of 
radioactive waste or spent fuel to a destination south of latitude 60° south; to African, Caribbean 
or Pacific countries, or to a third country which does not have the resources to manage it safely. 

For intra-Community shipments, whenever an entity which, under the applicable national law, is 
responsible for the radioactive waste or spent fuel (i.e. holder10) plans to carry out a shipment, it 
has to submit a duly completed application to the competent authorities of the Member State of 
origin11. 

Imports from third countries into the Community also require the consignee  (i.e. any natural or 
legal person to whom radioactive waste or spent fuel is shipped) to submit an application to the 
competent authorities of the Member State of destination12. 

Concerning  exports  outside  the  EU  borders,  the  holder  shall  submit  an  application  for 
authorisation to the competent authorities of the Member State of origin and then the competent 
authorities  in  the  Member  State  of  origin  must  ask  the  relevant  authorities  of  the  country  of 
destination and countries of transit for their consents13. 

As regards transits of radioactive waste and spent fuel through the Community originating from 
and destined to a third country, the entity responsible for the safe management of the material in 
the  first  Member  State  of  transit  shall  submit  an  application  for  authorisation  to  the  competent 
authorities of that Member State14. 

Directive  2006/117/EURATOM  sets  requirements  for  the  use  of  a  standard  document  for  the 
supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel (further referred to as 

10  

11  
12  
13  
14  

Any natural or legal person who, before carrying out a shipment of radioactive waste or spent fuel is 
responsible under the applicable national law for such materials and plans to carry out a shipment to a 
consignee.  
See Article 6 of the Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. 
See Article 13 of the Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. 
See Article 15 of the Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. 
See Article 14 of the Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. 

4 

 
 
 
                                                            
“standard document”), and the establishment of criteria for intra-Community shipments, imports 
from  outside  the  EU,  exports  from  Member  States  to  third  countries  and  transits  within  the 
Community.  The  standard  document  adopted  with  a  Commission  decision  in  200815 
acknowledges different types of shipments reflected in the "Type Code" graphically presented in 
Figure 1 and summarised in Table 1: 

-  A shipment between Member States (type MM); 

-  Export from the Community into a third country (type ME); 

- 

Import into the Community from a third country (type IM); 

-  Radioactive waste or spent fuel originating and destined to a third country, transiting through 

the Community (type TT). 

M
M 

M
M 

IM 

EU 
Community of 
28 MS 

TT 

M
M 

ME 

Figure 1: Types of shipments and respective "Type Code" 

The  shipments  of  spent  fuel  and  radioactive  waste  cannot  take  place  until  the  competent 
authorities of the country of destination and of any country of transit have notified the competent 
authorities of the country of origin of their approval.  

The Directive stipulates a period of two months after receipt of the application for notification of 

15  

Commission  Decision  of  5  March  2008  establishing  the  standard  document  for  the  supervision  and 
control  of  shipments  of  radioactive  waste  and  spent  fuel  referred  to  in  Council  Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM (notified under document number C(2008) 793) (2008/312/EURATOM). 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
 
approval or refusal. 

Table 1: Types of shipments and respective "Type Code” according to the standards 
document of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM 

Import 

Export 

Transit 

Different  possibilities  for  movements  within,  into  and 
out of Community 
From  a  country  external  to  EU  (third  country)  to  an  EU 
Member State 
Import  (IM)  can  be  associated  with  movement  from  an 
EU  Member  State  to  another  EU  Member  State,  i.e. 
internal EU shipment 
From  an  EU  Member  State  to  a  country  external  to  EU 
(third country) 
Export  (ME)  can  be  associated  with  movement  from  an 
EU  Member  State  to  another  EU  Member  State,  i.e. 
internal EU shipment  
From  a  country  external  to  EU  to  a  country  external  EU 
(third countries of origin and destination)  
Transit  (TT)  can  be  associated  with 
internal  EU 
movement,  from  an  EU  Member  State  to  another  EU 
Member State  

Type code 

IM 

MM 

ME  

MM  

TT 

MM 

The competent authorities in the Member States of transit or destination may add conditions to 
the  shipments  of  spent  fuel  and  radioactive  waste.  Nevertheless,  for  shipments  within  the 
Community,  it  is  not  possible  to  lay  down  conditions  which  are  more  stringent  than  those  laid 
down  by  the  national  law  of  a  Member  State  on  the  shipment  of  radioactive  waste  on  its  own 
territory. 

Finally, if the conditions applying to the shipment are not complied with or the shipment cannot 
be  completed,  the  competent  authorities  of  the  Member  State  of  origin  must  ensure  that  the 
radioactive waste and/or spent fuel in question are taken back by the holder, unless an alternative 
safe  arrangement  can  be  made.  The  holder  shall  be  liable  for  costs  arising  in  cases  where  the 
shipment cannot or may not be completed (see Article 12 of the Directive).  

3. 

STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GENERAL PROVISIONS 

3.1. 

Transposition of the Directive 

Twenty-seven Member States completed the transposition of the Directive by 2013. Transposition 
details for each Member State were outlined in the first Commission report COM(2013)240 final 
and more specifically in Annex 1 of SWD(2013) 150 final. 
Since  then  Croatia  joined  the  EU  (1st  of  July  2013)  and  transposed  the  Directive  later  in 
November  2013,  through  the  adoption  of  the  Act  on  Radiological  and  Nuclear  Safety  and 
secondary legislation, i.e. Ordinance on the Supervision and Control of Transboundary Shipments 
of Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel. 

All Member States have notified their transposition measures to date. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.2. 

Standard document for the supervision and control of shipments 

Article  17  of  the  Directive  requires  the  use  of  a  standard  document  for  all  shipments  falling 
within  the  scope  of  the  Directive.  The  standard  document  was  established  by  Commission 
Decision in 200816 and includes annex specific forms for: 

 

 

 

 

 

application of authorisation for shipment of spent fuel and radioactive waste;  

acknowledgement of receipt of application – request for missing information for 
spent fuel and radioactive waste;  

refusal  or  consent  for  spent  fuel  and  radioactive  waste  shipment  by  competent 
authorities concerned; 

description of radioactive waste consignment/list of packages; 

acknowledgement of receipt of spent fuel and radioactive waste;  

 

authorisation of shipment of spent fuel and radioactive waste. 
A corrigendum to the standard document was published in December 201117. 

Member States have reported some difficulties in the use of the standard document and provided 
useful input for future improvement. Details are described in Section 4 of the present document. 

3.3. 

Competent authorities 

Article 5(13) of the Directive defines "competent authorities" as "any authority which, under the 
law or regulations of the countries of origin, transit or destination, are empowered to implement 
the system of supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste or spent fuel". In order to 
facilitate communication between Member States regarding supervision and control of shipments 
of  spent  fuel  and  radioactive  waste,  as  of  September  2016,  all  Member  States  provided  the 
Commission with the updated contact details of their competent authority or authorities. 

3.4. 

Transmission 

In  compliance  with  the  requirement  of  Article  19  of  the  Directive,  the  Commission  issued  a 
Recommendation18  for  a  secure  and  effective  system  of  transmission  of  the  documents  and 
information  relating  to  the  provisions  of  the  Directive.  The  Commission  has  also  established 
(https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/nuclear-
electronic 
energy/radiation-protection/transport-radioactive-materials)  containing 
information 
related to the Directive.  

communication 

platform 

relevant 

The  data  has  been  updated,  where  appropriate,  following  information  transmitted  to  the 
Commission by each Member State as foreseen under Article 19 of the Directive, including the 
contact details of the competent authorities in the Member States. The list of these authorities is 
presented in Annex I and can also be accessed via the Europa web site mentioned above. 

3.5. 

Regular reports 

Member States' reports on the implementation of the Directive have to be submitted every three 
years (as per Article 20 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). The deadline for submission of the 
second  Member  States  reports  was  25  December  2014.  By  January  2016  the  Commission 
received  the  national  reports  for  the  2012-2014  reporting  period  from  all  28  Member  States. 
During this second reporting round important delays were noticed as only three Member States 

16  
17  
18  

Commission Decision of 5 March 2008.  
OJ L 343, 23.12.2011, p. 149. 
OJ L 177, 8.7.2009, p. 5. 

7 

 
 
 
                                                            
notified on time19 (others notified with different delays20). 

On the basis of the assessment of these reports, the Commission prepared its Second Report and 
the present SWD on the implementation of the Directive in order to provide an overview of the 
authorisations  given  Community-wide  and  to  inform  about  any  trends,  practical  difficulties 
communicated by the Member States, as well as the proposed actions. 

According to Article 20 and the procedures laid down in Article 21 of the Directive, the Advisory 
Committee views as of 25 January 2017 on this SWD have been taken into account. 

4. 

SHIPMENTS OF SPENT FUEL AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN 2012-2014  

The Directive requires shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel to take place only with prior 
informed  consent  of  the  competent  authorities  of  all  Member  States  involved,  including  transit 
Member States (see Article 9). 

For the 2012-2014 period, of the 28 EU Member States, 20 Member States (about 71 %) reported 
authorised shipments within the scope of the Directive. Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, 
Lithuania,  Malta  and  Portugal  did  not  declare  authorisations  issued  in  the  framework  of  the 
Directive for the reporting period.  
Member  States  reported  400  issued  approvals21,  which  include  192  authorisations  of  Member 
State of origin and 208 consents to shipments22. Three of the reported authorisations (about 2% of 
the  approvals)  were  not  within  the  scope  of  the  Directive  (other  type  of  material  see  Figure  2 
below).  

Five Member States (Sweden, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Belgium) account for 
74 % of the reported authorisations for 2012-2014. In the previous reporting period (2009-2011)3 
14  Member  States  reported  161  authorisations  within  the  scope  of  the  Directive  with  74%  of 
authorisations  related  to  shipments  of  radioactive  waste  and  remaining  26%  shipments  of  spent 
fuel.  

In  general,  Member  States'  reports  for  2012-2014  differ  in  terms  of  reporting  format  (including 
template),  completeness  and  level  of  detail  of  the  provided  information.  The  different  types  of 
shipment  are  not  always  reported  according  to  the  definitions  of  the  Directive  (imports,  exports 
and transits) or clearly distinguish the material transported (spent fuel from radioactive waste).  

Inconsistencies were also identified when analysing and cross-checking different national reports 
regarding authorisations and movements across Member States. The Commission was in dialogue 
with some Member States in order to complete the information provided and these Member States 
were  invited  to  reply  to  additional  questions  that  were  sent  for  clarification.  The  information 
received has improved the quality of the data; however some areas for interpretation still remain.  

Concerning radioactive waste and spent fuel, from 192 shipment authorisations of Member States 
of  origin  157  (81%)  were  related  to  shipment  of  radioactive  waste  and  32  (17%)  to  spent  fuel. 

19  
20  

21  

22  

Denmark, Lithuania, and Romania. 
Within  6  months:  Bulgaria,  Czech  Republic,  Greece,  Estonia,  Finland,  Latvia,  Luxembourg,  Poland, 
Portugal,  Slovenia,  Slovakia,  Sweden,  the  United  Kingdom;  within  6-12  months:  Austria,  Belgium 
Croatia,  Cyprus,  France,  Germany,  Hungary,  Ireland,  Malta,  The  Netherlands  and  Spain;  later  than  1 
year: Italy.       
Although the Directive does not define the term "approval" and clearly refers only to "authorisation", 
"consent"  and  "refusal",  national  reports  from  Member  States  do  not  always  refer  to  the  official 
definitions and often do not make the difference between authorisations and consents. Therefore, for the 
purpose of this report, the term “approval" is used to include both "authorisations" and "consents". 
Authorisations  are  often  given  for  several  shipments  to  be  carried  out  over  a  time  period  that  may 
exceed the period covered by the present report (2012-2014). 

8 

 
 
 
                                                            
Three shipments are reported for materials other than radioactive waste and spent fuel (see Figure 
2).  

Three  Member  States  (France,  Sweden  and  the  United  Kingdom)  have  reported  imports  of 
radioactive waste/spent fuel. 

2 

17 

81 

RAW
SNF
Materials

Figure 2: Proportion (%) of radioactive waste, spent fuel (including materials) shipments 

issued by the Member States of origin 

Most  of  the  shipments  reported  in  the  2012-2014  period  were  shipments  of  spent  fuel  and 
radioactive  waste  between  Member  States.  About  17%  of  shipment  authorisations  are  linked  to 
import and export of these materials based on 30 authorisations for export reported by 11 Member 
States (see Table 2), of which: 

- 20 authorisations (67%) are linked to export of spent fuel; and  

- 10 authorisations (33%) were granted for exports of radioactive waste.  

In the previous reporting period (2008–2011) 29 authorisations for exports were granted by nine 
Member States, of which 59% were related to export of spent fuel. 

Table 2 provides an overview of exports of radioactive waste and spent fuel outside the EU during 
the  reporting  period  2012-2014.  Final  destinations  for  exports  reported  are  Russia  (47%),  USA 
(30%), Switzerland and Japan (20%, equally 10% each) and Norway (3%). All export shipments 
reported with destination Russia were for spent fuel with purpose of reprocessing, some of which 
for final disposal.  

9 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Table 2: Authorised exports of spent fuel and radioactive waste to third countries  

(2012-2014) 

Member State 
(authorising the 
shipment) 

Third country 

Number of 
Authorisations  

of destination 

for RAW / SF 

Purpose of shipment 
as reported by MS 

AUSTRIA 

USA 

1 SF (research) 

final disposal 

BULGARIA 

RUSSIA 

7 SF (nuclear industry) 

reprocessing 

CZECH REPUBLIC 

RUSSIA 

1 SF (research) 

reprocessing 

FRANCE 

SWITZERLAND  2 RAW 

GERMANY 

HUNGARY 

ITALY 

POLAND 

ROMANIA 

SWEDEN 

UK 

USA 

USA 

USA 

RUSSIA 

RUSSIA 

USA 

USA 

RUSSIA 

RUSSIA 

USA 

JAPAN 

1 SF (research) 

2 SF (research) 

2 RAW 

1 SF (research) 

return 

return 

reprocessing / 
storage 

treatment 

treatment 

1 SF (nuclear industry) 

treatment 

1 SF  

1 RAW 

final disposal 

treatment 

2 SF (research) 

final disposal 

2 SF (research) 

reprocessing/disposal 

1 RAW (research) 

1 RAW (research) 

return 

return 

NORWAY 

1 SF (research) 

scientific research 

SWITZERLAND  1 RAW 

JAPAN 

2 RAW 

return 

return 

In  general,  no  major  issues  were  reported  by  Member  States  in  the  implementation  of  the 
Directive  in  the  2012-2014  period.  However,  some  Member  States  expressed  concerns  also 
reported during the previous reporting period, which are highlighted hereafter. 

Although  the  definition  of  "radioactive  waste"  is  well  formulated  and  defined  in  the  Directive, 
some Member States consider the absence of harmonisation of clearance levels at a national level 
for radioactive waste to lead to the possibility that materials containing radioactive substances are 
released  in  one  Member  State  but  could  still  be  considered  as  radioactive  waste  in  another 
Member State. This is the case for metal scrap that can be reused in some countries.  

A  similar  issue  can  be  referred  to  transboundary  shipments  of  waste  containing  naturally 
occurring radioactive materials (NORM waste) which are not arising from authorized practices. 
This  kind  of  waste  is  excluded  both  from  the  scope  of  the  Directive  and  of  the  Directive 
2011/70/EURATOM and by consequence is outside regulatory control.  

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Another  case  raised  by  two  Member  States  was  the  refusal  applications  for  authorisations  of 
shipment of contaminated metal scrap intended for processing and potential recycling via melting. 
The refusal was justified as the applications did not explicitly define the material to be radioactive 
waste.  Therefore,  the  material  was  considered  to  be  out  of  the  scope  of  the  Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM.  

4.1. 

Issues reported by Member States when using the standard document 

According  to  Article  17  of  the  Directive,  a  standard  document  for  supervision  and  control  of 
shipments of spent fuel and radioactive waste shall be used for all imports, exports and transits to 
the  Community.  The  standard  document  has  been  made  available  to  the  Member  States  by  a 
Commission Decision C(2008) 79315 of 5 March 2008 and amended in 2011. 

In the reporting period (2012-2014), Member States have provided useful input and proposals for 
improvement of the standard document.  

The following recommendations were reported to the Commission: 

 

 

 

Shipments  as  a  result  of  return  of  radioactive  waste  to  be  linked  to  initial 
shipments  of  spent  fuel  and/or  radioactive  waste  for  (re)processing  to  ensure  a 
clearer  overview  of  related  shipments.  Examples  of  such  shipments  are  cross 
border processing of radioactive waste for volume reduction, and/or conditioning 
and  cross  border  processing  of  spent  fuel.  Also  in  the  case  of  cross  border 
treatment  of  contaminated  scrap  metal,  it  could  help  linking  return  shipments  of 
radioactive waste to initial shipments, although initial shipments do not require an 
authorisation when the metal is shipped as recyclable material.  

Therefore Member States proposed that a specific section is added to the standard 
document  allowing  for  reference  to  a  previous  authorisation/consent,  whenever 
the application for shipment is meant for the repatriation of residues arising from 
that previous shipment. This cross-reference would establish an audit trail.  

Improved  consistency  between  the  information  required  in  Section  B-1  of  the 
standard  document,  which  does  not  include  current  radioactivity  levels  of  spent 
fuel, and Section B-5 which requires this information. 

the  explanatory  notes  of  the  standard  document  would  benefit  from  the 
introduction  of  subtitles  based  on  the  titles  of  each  section  (e.g.  Application  for 
authorisation, and Acknowledgement of receipt). 

4.2. 

Information  on  significant  conditions  required  by  the  Member  States  – export 
criteria implementation 

The  significant  conditions  for  the  second  reporting  period  2012-2014  as  provided  by  Member 
States  are  presented  in  this  section,  and  complement  Member  States  information  on  significant 
conditions for the previous reporting period (see SWD (2013) 150 final). 

Cyprus: All practices involving radioactive materials, including shipments (import, export, transit, 
and transport), need prior authorisation under the Protection from Ionising Radiation and Nuclear 
Safety Laws of 2002 to 2011.  

Luxembourg: The Grand-Ducal regulation of 3 March 2009 reflects, in Article 8, the conditions 
proposed by the Directive on prohibited export (Article 16), including a specific reference to the 
criteria established by the group of experts set by Article 21. However, with the transposition of 
Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM that is in force since 30 July 2013, the relevant paragraph 
of  Article  8  has  been  amended  and  replaced  by  a  new  prescription  that  prohibits  the  export  of 
radioactive  waste  and  spent  fuel  to  third  countries.  As  such,  these  exports  are  not  possible 

11 

 
 
 
anymore.  Transfers  to  other  Member  States  are  not  affected  by  this  export  prohibition  to  third 
countries. 

Latvia: The Law on Radiation Safety and Nuclear Safety prohibits the import of radioactive waste 
and spent fuel into the Republic of Latvia. The Radiation Safety Centre of the State Environment 
Service  (VVD  RDC)  is  the  competent  authority  responsible  for  introducing  supervision  and 
control procedures for shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel. 
Romania:  The  licensing  conditions  for  transport/shipment  activities  are  mentioned  in  CNCAN23 
Order No, 357/2005, approving the Regulation on the Transport of Radioactive Materials24. The 
export  criteria  for  radioactive  waste/spent  fuel  are  mentioned  in  CNCAN  Order  No  56/2004 
approving the Basic Regulation on the Safe Management of Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel.  

that  all  criteria  and  conditions  required  by 

Poland:  Poland  reported 
the  Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM  are  implemented.  No  additional  conditions  were  required  by  the  Polish 
regulatory  framework  except  those  arising  from  Article  27  of  the  Joint  Convention,  the 
Convention  on  the  Physical  Protection  of  Nuclear  Material,  the  International  Atomic  Energy 
Agency  (IAEA)  Regulations  for  the  Safe  Transport  of  Radioactive  Material  SSR-6  and  the 
international  modal  transport  regulations  (ADR25,  RID26,  ADN27,  IMDG28  Code,  and  ICAO29 
Technical Instructions). 

4.3. 

Information on significant cases of refusal to give authorisation/consent 

In most Member States there were no cases of refusal to grant authorisation for the transboundary 
shipment of radioactive waste or spent fuel during the 2012-2014 period. However, two Member 
States reported refusals and one stated a clarification as explained below: 

Netherlands:  Two  applications  for  the  transit  of  contaminated  scrap  metal  were  refused.  The 
Dutch  Government  considered  these  transits  out  of  the  scope  of  the  Directive,  because 
contaminated scrap metal that will be recycled is not considered radioactive waste. 

Although  the  approvals  were  refused,  the  transits  were  carried  out  according  to  the  applicable 
Dutch regulations. 

France:  Two  refusals  concerned    two  shipments  for  receiving  spent  fuel  from  Italy,  pending 
receipt of further information. France gave its approval for one of these shipments after the end of 
the considered reporting period (in 2015). 

Germany:  No  case  of  refusal  was  reported,  although  Germany  specifies  that  any  application 
involving  contaminated  scrap  metal  would  be  rejected,  if  scrap  metal  is  not  declared  as 
radioactive waste, i.e. in the case of contaminated metal scrap for recycling via melting.  

23  

24  
25  

26  

27  

28  
29  

CNCAN – Comisia Naţională pentru Controlul Activităţilor Nucleare (Romania National Commission 
for Nuclear Activities Control). 
Official Journal of Romania, Part 1. No. 1152 of 20.12.2005. 
ADR  –  Accord  européen  relatif  au  transport  international  des  marchandises  Dangereuses  par  Route 
(European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road). 
Règlement  concernant  le  transport  international  ferroviaire des  marchandises dangereuses (Regulation 
concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail). 
ADN – Accord europeen relatif au transport international des merchandises Dangereuses par voies de 
Navigation interieures (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods 
by Inland Waterways). 
IMDG – International Maritime Dangerous Goods.  
ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organization. 

12 

 
 
 
                                                            
4.4. 

Cross check information 

The Joint Convention  defines safety principles and requirements for management of radioactive 
waste  and  spent  fuel  in  line  with  the  internationally  agreed  safety  standards  of  the  IAEA  (in 
particular the safety fundamentals). 

The  implementation  of  the  Joint  Convention,  and  in  particular  its  Article  27,  requires  Member 
States to report on transboundary movements and exports of radioactive waste and spent fuel. 

Reported information from Member States under the Joint Convention Article 27 (October 2014) 
for the 5th Review Meeting and the Directive 2006/117/EURATOM (in particular Article 15) are 
provided in Annex II of this report. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX I 

List of Competent National Authorities under Article 18 of 

Council Directive 2006/117/EURATOM 

Austria 

Division of Radiation Protection 

Federal  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  Forestry,  Environment  and  Water 
Management 

Untere Donaustraße 11 

A-1020 Vienna 

Belgium 

Federal Agency for Nuclear Control 

Security and transport department 

Import and transport office 

36 rue Ravensteinstraat 

B-1000 Brussels 

Email: transport@fanc.fgov.be 

Tel: +32 2 289 21 81 

Internet: www.fanc.fgov.be 

Bulgaria 

Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency 

69 Shipchenski prokhod Blvd. 

BG-1574 Sofia 

Croatia 

State Office for Radiological and Nuclear Safety 

Internet: www.bnra.bg/en/front-page-en?set_language=en 

Frankopanska 11 

HR-10000 Zagreb 

Cyprus 

Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance 

Radiation Inspection and Control Service 

Department of Labor Inspection 

12 Apellis Street 

CY-1493 Lefkosia (Nicosia) 

Czech Republic 

State Office for Nuclear Safety 

Division of Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management 

Senovážné namesti 9 

CZ-110 00 Prague 1 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Denmark 

Danish Health Authority 

Radiation Protection 

Knapholm 7 

DK-2730 Herlev 

Estonia 

Ministry of the Environment of Estonia 

Narva str 7a 

EE-Tallinn 15172 

Finland  

Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) 

Nuclear Waste and Material Regulation 

P.O. Box 14 

FI-00881 Helsinki 

France 

Bureau réglementation et affaires techniques 

Sous-direction de l'Energie nucléaire 

Direction générale de l'Énergie et du Climat 

Ministère de l'Énergie, de l'Environnement et de la Mer (MEEM)  

Tour Sequia 

F-92055 LA DEFENSE Cédex 

Germany 

Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (BAFA) 

Referat323 – Nukleartechnik (NSG), Radioaktive Stoffe 

Frankfurter Straße 29-35 

D-65760 Eschborn 

Greece 

Greek Atomic Energy Commission 

Department of Licensing & Inspections 

P.O. Box 60092 

GR-153 10 Aghia Paraskevi-Attiki 

Hungary 

Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority 

P.O. Box 676 

Fényes Adolf str. 4 

HU-1036 Budapest 

Ireland 

Office of Radiological Protection 

Environmental Protection Agency 

3 Clonskeagh Square, Clonskeagh Road 

IE-Dublin 14 H424 

Italy 

Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico 

Direzione Generale per il Mercato Elettrico, le Rinnovabili e 

15 

 
 
 
l'Efficienza Energetica, il Nucleare 

Divisione V – Impieghi Pacifici dell'Energia Nucleare, Ricerca e 

Gestione di Materiali e Rifiuti Nucleari 

Via Molise, 2, I-00187 Roma 

Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA 
– ex-APAT) 

Department of Nuclear, Industrial and Technological Risk 

Division of Nuclear Plants 

Via Vitaliano Brancati 48 

I-00144 Roma 

Latvia 

Radiation Safety Centre 

State Environmental Service  

Rupniecibas iela 23 

LV-Riga 1045 

Lithuania 

Radiation Protection Centre (RPC)  

Kalvariju st. 153 

LT-08221 Vilnius  

Luxembourg 

Ministère de la Santé 

Division de la Radioprotection 

Villa Louvigny- Allée Marconi 

L-2120 Luxembourg 

Malta 

Environment & Resources Authority 

Hexagon House 

Spencer Hill 

MT-Marsa 

MRS 1441 

Poland 

National Atomic Energy Agency 

Krucza Street 36 

PL-00-522 Warsaw 

Portugal 

COMRSIN (Comissão Reguladora para a Segurança das Instalações 

Nucleares) 

Palácio das Laranjeiras 

Estrada das Laranjeiras, 205 

P-1649-018 Lisboa 

Email: geral-comrsin@comrsin.pt ; acsfonseca@comrsin.pt 

16 

 
 
 
Internet : www.comrsin.pt 

Romania 

CNCAN 
Nucleare) 

(Comisia  Naţională  pentru  Controlul  Activităţilor 

14 B-dul. Libertatii Street, Sector 5 

RO-050706, Bucharest 

Slovakia 

Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic 

Bajkalská 27 

P.O. Box 24 

SK-820 07 Bratislava  

Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic (radiation protection) 

Trnavska cesta 52 

P. O. Box 45 

826 45 Bratislava 

Slovenia 

Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration 

Litostrojska cesta 54 

SI-1000 Ljubljana 

Phone : +386 1 472 11 00 
Fax : +386 1 472 11 99   
E-mail: gp.ursjv@gov.si 

Spain 

Subdirección General de Energía Nuclear 

Dirección General de Política Energética y Minas 

Ministerio de Energía, Turismo y Agenda Digital 

Paseo de la Castellana 160, 6ª Planta Despacho 37 

E-28046 – Madrid  

Email: sgenergianuclear@minetad.es 

Área de Transporte y Fabricación de Combustible Nuclear  

Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear 

C/ Pedro Justo Dorado Dellmans nº 11 

E-28040 – Madrid 

Email: erj@csn.es 

Sweden 

Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) 

Solna strandväg 96 

SE-171 16 STOCKHOLM  

Email: registrator@ssm.se 

The Netherlands 

Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS) 

17 

 
 
 
 
Postbus 16001 

NL-2500 BA DEN HAAG  

United Kingdom 

(for England) 

The Environment Agency 

International Waste Shipments Team 

Richard Fairclough House 

Knutsford Road 

Warrington WA4 1HT 

Tel. +44 1925542265 

Fax: +44 1925542105 

Email: shipments@environment-agency.gov.uk  

Internet: https://www.gov.uk/radioactive-waste-spent-fuel-or-
sources  

(for Nothern Ireland) 

Chief Radiochemical Inspector 

Northern Ireland Environment Agency 

Industrial Pollution and Radiochemical Inspectorate 

Klondyke Building 

Cromac Avenue 

Gasworks Business Park 

Belfast BT7 2JA 

Tel. +44 2890569299 

Fax: +44 2890569263 

Email: ipri@doeni.gov.uk  

Internet: www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/ 

(for Scotland) 

Radioactive Substances Unit 

Scottish Environment Protection Agency 

Strathallan House 

Castle Business Park 

Stirling FK9 4TZ 

Tel. +44 1786457700 

Fax: +44 1786446885 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
Email: RSEnquiries@sepa.org.uk  

Internet: www.sepa.org.uk 

(for Wales) 

Natural Resources Wales 

Waste Shipment Unit 

St Mellons Business Park 

Cardiff CF3 OEY 

Tel. +44 2920245315 

Fax: +44 2920362487 

Email: Waste-shipments@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk  

Internet: www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk  

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX II 

MEMBER STATES SHIPMENTS RELATED TO 

ARTICLE 27 OF THE JOINT CONVENTION AND 

THE DIRECTIVE 2006/117/EURATOM (2012-2014) 

AUSTRIA 

On  the  basis  of  the  Austrian  Federal  Constitutional  Act  on  a  “Non-Nuclear  Austria”  Austria 
explicitly prohibits any transport of fissile material for the production of nuclear energy (Article 
27 of Joint Convention).  

During the considered reporting period, Austria reported a total of 13 authorisations and consents 
under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM, of which one export of spent fuel to the USA (Article 15 
of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

BELGIUM 

Belgium  declared  12  authorisations  granted  for  radioactive  waste  shipments  within  the  EU 
(Article 27 of Joint Convention).  

During the considered reporting period, Belgium reported a total of 12 authorisations issued under 
Directive 2006/117/EURATOM, all related to intra EU movements of nuclear waste.  

No  export  outside  the  EU  of  waste  or  spent  fuel  was  reported  (Article  15  of  Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM). 

BULGARIA 

The Republic of Bulgaria has a practice of sending spent fuel for reprocessing. No transboundary 
transport of radioactive waste has been reported (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  Bulgaria  reported  a  total  of  seven  authorisations  issued 
under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM, all of them related to shipments of spent fuel to Russia, all 
transiting through Romania (and Ukraine) (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM).  

CROATIA  

No imports, exports or transit shipments of radioactive waste or spent fuel were reported (Article 
27 of Joint Convention). 

No transboundary movements of radioactive waste or spent fuel were reported by Croatia during 
the considered reporting period, under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. 

CYPRUS 

Cyprus  does  not  operate  nuclear  installations  and  does  not  possess  any  amounts  of  spent  fuel. 
Small  amounts  of  radioactive  waste,  produced  in  nuclear  medicine  departments  and  research 
facilities  are  kept  in  storage  for  licensed  disposal  or  shipment  abroad  (Article  27  of  Joint 
Convention). 

No transboundary movements of radioactive waste or spent fuel were reported by Cyprus during 
the considered reporting period, under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM.  

20 

 
 
 
 
 
CZECH REPUBLIC 

The  Czech  Republic  has  been  granting  authorisations  for  shipment  of  radioactive  waste  to 
treatment  facilities  for  incineration  and  volume  reduction  and  for  repatriation  of  incinerated 
products like ashes and powders and super compacted waste. One authorisation was granted for 
export of spent fuel via the territory of Poland to Russia (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  the  Czech  Republic  reported  a  total  of  seven 
authorisations and consents under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. One authorisation concerning 
the export of spent fuel to Russia was reported (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

DENMARK 

The National Institute of Radiation Protection under the Danish Health and Medicines Authority 
has, in the period from the 4th Review Meeting, received 30 notifications concerning one or more 
transboundary movements between EU-countries (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  Denmark  reported  a  total  of  20  authorisations  and 
consents under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. No export outside the EU of radioactive waste or 
spent fuel was reported (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

ESTONIA 

No  licence  was  issued  for  transboundary  movements  of  radioactive  waste  with  Estonia  as  a 
country of origin, transit or destination (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

No transboundary movements of radioactive waste or spent fuel were reported by Estonia during 
the considered reporting period, under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM.  

FINLAND 

Few  cases  of  transboundary  movements  were  reported;  in  particular  two  spent  fuel  rods  were 
shipped  out  of  Finland  for  research  purposes  and  some  large  metal  components  for  scrapping. 
Radioactive  waste  was  shipped  back  to  Finland  after  the  treatment.  Also,  one  authorisation  for 
shipment from Sweden to Japan via Finland was approved (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  Finland  reported  a  total  of  five  authorisations  and 
consents under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM.  

No export outside the EU of radioactive waste or spent fuel is reported (Article 15 of Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM). 

FRANCE 

France  reported  the  application  of  all  international,  European  and  national  safety,  transport, 
security,  physical-protection  and  public-order  regulations.  Transboundary  movements  of  spent 
fuel  and  radioactive  waste  between  France  and  third-party  countries  involve  mainly  spent  fuel 
processing,  that  are  performed  at  the  La  Hague  Plant  on  behalf  of  Belgian,  Dutch,  German, 
Italian, Japanese and Swiss customers. 

Most transboundary movements between European countries are made by rail. Sea routes are used 
for Japan-bound shipments, since suitable port infrastructures meeting the required nuclear-safety 
levels have been built at both ends of the itinerary. No significant incident compromising safety, 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
security or radiation protection has been notified in recent years during those shipments (Article 
27 of Joint Convention). 

During the considered reporting period, France reported a total of 38 authorisations and consents 
under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. From those, three authorisations for export outside the EU 
were  granted  out  of  which  two  were  for  radioactive  waste  to  Switzerland.  The  authorisation  to 
USA  was  issued  for  spent  fuel  samples  for  return  of  research  material  (Article  15  of  Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM). 

GERMANY 

Germany  declared  compliance  with  all  international,  European  and  national  regulations  for  the 
safe  management  and  transport  of  radioactive  waste  and  spent  fuel  (Article  27  of  Joint 
Convention).  

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  Germany  reported  30  authorisations  under  Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM. Within this figure, Germany reported two exports of radioactive waste and 
two of spent fuel to the USA (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

GREECE 

Greece reported one transboundary movement of spent fuel shipped to the USA, covered by the 
provisions of the agreement with the US Department of Energy (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

No transboundary movements of radioactive waste or spent fuel were reported by Greece under 
Directive 2006/117/EURATOM during the considered reporting period. 

HUNGARY 

In compliance with Article 27 of the Convention, the Hungarian regulation does not prejudice or 
affect  the  rights  of  a  contracting  party  as  provided  by  international  law,  or  with  respect  to  the 
return  of  radioactive  waste  or  other  products  from  processing  radioactive  waste  or  reprocessing 
spent fuel (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  Hungary  reported  a  total  of  six  authorisations  and 
consents  under  Directive  2006/117/EURATOM.  Two  authorisations  were  related  to  exports  of 
spent fuel to Russia (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

IRELAND 

The transfer of radioactive sources or radioactive waste from Ireland to other countries is limited 
to the return of disused radioactive sources to the suppliers or to the transfer of these sources to an 
overseas waste management facility for reuse or recycling purposes. 

There are no nuclear power reactors, research reactors, fuel fabrication or fuel recycling facilities 
in Ireland and therefore the shipment of spent fuel is not applicable to Ireland (Article 27 of Joint 
Convention). 

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  Ireland  reported  a  total  of  eight  authorisations  issued 
under  Directive  2006/117/EURATOM,  all  of  them  related  to  intra  EU  movements  of  nuclear 
waste.  No  export  outside  the  EU  of  radioactive  waste  was  reported  (Article  15  of  Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM). 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITALY 

National experience of transboundary movements of spent fuel and radioactive waste were related 
to the reprocessing of spent fuel and the treatment of radioactive waste arising from nuclear fuel 
cycle and from medical or industrial activities. The radioactive waste exported to EU countries is 
reimported after treatment (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During the considered reporting period, Italy reported a total of five authorisations and consents 
under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. Two authorisations for exports - one of spent fuel and one 
of 
(Article  15  of  Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM). 

radioactive  waste  outside 

the  EU  were 

reported 

LATVIA 

The  Law  on  Radiation  Safety  and  Nuclear  Safety  prohibits  the  import  of  radioactive  waste  and 
spent  fuel  into  the  Republic  of  Latvia.  The  Radiation  Safety  Centre  of  the  State  Environment 
Service is the competent authority responsible for introducing supervision and control procedures 
for  shipments  of  radioactive  waste  and  of  spent  fuel.  No  exports  or  transit  shipments  of 
radioactive waste or spent fuel were reported (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

No transboundary movements of radioactive waste or spent fuel were reported by Latvia during 
the considered reporting period, under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. 

LITHUANIA 

Ninety-two authorisations (permits) for the import, export, transit or transportation of radioactive 
materials and 30 authorisations for the transportation of radioactive waste within the country were 
issued during 2011-2013 (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

No transboundary movements of radioactive waste or spent fuel were reported by Lithuania under 
Directive 2006/117/EURATOM during the considered reporting period.. 

LUXEMBOURG 

The transfer of radioactive waste is regulated by the Grand-Ducal regulation of 3 March 2009 on 
the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive waste and spent fuel (Article 27 of Joint 
Convention). 

During the considered reporting period, Luxembourg reported a total of two authorisations issued 
under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM, all related to intra EU movements of nuclear materials. No 
export  outside 
the  EU  of  radioactive  waste  was  reported  (Article  15  of  Directive 
2006/117/EURATOM). 

MALTA 

Maltese  customs  perform  portal  monitoring  on  a  large  percentage  of  shipping  containers  in 
transboundary  shipment.  This  monitoring  has  led  to  the  detection  of  finished  metal  products 
contaminated with Co-60. Detection arrangements are made to send the items back to the country 
of  origin  in  accordance  with  international  transport  regulations.  The  regulatory  authority  of  the 
country of origin was informed of the return shipment (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

No  transboundary  movements  of  radioactive  waste  or  spent  fuel  were  reported  by  Malta  under 
Directive 2006/117/EURATOM during the considered reporting period.. 

THE NETHERLANDS 

23 

 
 
 
 
The  Netherlands  has  implemented  the  international  agreements  on  the  transport  of  radioactive 
materials  for  the  different  modes  of  transport  as  released  by  ICAO  (air  transport),  IMO  (sea 
transport),  ADR  (road  transport)  and  RID  (rail  transport)  and  ADNR  (transport  over  inland 
waterways) (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During the considered reporting period, the Netherlands reported a total of 14 authorisations and 
consents under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. No export outside the EU of radioactive waste or 
spent fuel was reported (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

POLAND 

Shipments  of  spent  fuel  to  Russia  have  been  performed  in  accordance  to  the  prevailing 
international and State regulations (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

Under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM Poland reported 3 authorisations for spent fuel exports to 
Russia were reported, of which two for export of spent fuel and one for transit of spent fuel from 
Czech Republic to Russia (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

PORTUGAL 

No authorisation of cross-border shipment of radioactive waste or spent fuel was reported (Article 
27 of Joint Convention). 

No transboundary movements of radioactive waste or spent fuel were reported by Portugal under 
Directive 2006/117/EURATOM during the considered reporting period.. 

ROMANIA 

The  import  of  radioactive  waste  is  prohibited.  The  only  exception  is  when  the  import  follows 
directly  from  the  processing  outside  Romanian  territory  of  a  previously  licensed  export  of 
radioactive  waste,  on  the  basis  of  the  provisions  of  international  agreements  or  of  contracts 
concluded with commercial partners, under the terms of law. Romania authorizes only shipments 
for  which  it  has  obtained  the  consent  by  the  destination  country.  If  export  of  spent  fuel  for 
reprocessing is performed and in case no arrangements for keeping the waste in the country where 
the  fuel  is  reprocessed  are  in  place,  the  radioactive  waste  and  other  products  resulting  from 
reprocessing will be allowed for repatriation (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  Romania  reported  a  total  of  four  authorisations  and 
consents under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM.  

Three authorisations were issued for export of spent fuel to Russia. Two of the shipments were 
related to fuel of the Romanian research reactor and one was for the transit of Bulgarian spent fuel 
(Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

SLOVAK REPUBLIC 

The legal framework allows for import, resulting from treatment and conditioning, of radioactive 
waste  exported  for  this  purpose,  if  its  re-entry  was  approved  in  advance.  Import  of  radioactive 
waste is also allowed for the purpose of its treatment and conditioning on Slovakian territory if 
export of radioactive waste with proportional activity was contractually agreed. Any other import 
of radioactive waste to Slovakia is prohibited (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  Slovakia  reported  a  total  of  four  authorisations  and 
consents  under  Directive  2006/117/EURATOM. No  export  of  radioactive  waste  or  spent  fuel is 
reported (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

24 

 
 
SLOVENIA  

Two  transits  of  nuclear  material  took  place  in  October  and  November  2012.  The  first  shipment 
involved  slightly  irradiated  fuel  elements  for  use  in  the  Austrian  TRIGA30  research  reactor  in 
Vienna.  The  second  shipment  contained  both  low  and  highly  enriched  uranium  from  the  same 
reactor  in  Vienna  was  returned  to  the country  of  origin  (the USA).  In  the  latter  shipment,  there 
was also a Pu/Be source destined for the same consignee (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

During  the  considered  reporting  period,  Slovenia  reported  a  total  of  seven  authorisations  and 
consents under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM.  

From the publication of the Commission Recommendation of 4 December 2008 on criteria for the 
export  of  radioactive  waste  and  spent  fuel  to  third  countries,  Slovenia  has  not  received  any 
applications for authorisation of export of radioactive waste or spent fuel to third countries which 
would require considerations with Commission's Recommendations on export criteria (Article 15 
of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

SPAIN 

Spain reported a shipment of various metal pieces from the reactor internals of the José Cabrera 
nuclear  power  plant  to  the  Studsvik facilities  (Sweden)  in  2013,  for  the performance  of  various 
tests  on  the  behaviour  of  metal  subjected  to  high  levels  of  radiation  (Article  27  of  Joint 
Convention). 

During the considered reporting period, Spain reported a total of six authorisations and consents 
under  Directive  2006/117/EURATOM.  No  export  outside  the  EU  of  radioactive  waste  or  spent 
fuel was reported (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

SWEDEN 

Studsvik Nuclear AB carries out radioactive waste volume reduction on a commercial basis, by 
incineration of combustible waste and melting of scrap metal. The activities are to a certain extent 
based on services to companies abroad, and Studsvik imports radioactive waste and scrap metal 
for  the  purpose  of  volume  reduction.  The  remaining  radioactive  waste  is  re-exported  to  the 
country of origin. Approximately 100 transboundary shipments of this kind are carried out each 
year. 

Further to this, Sweden has received 36 shipments of radioactive waste and seven shipments of 
spent fuel, the latter for research purposes (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

Sweden has issued more than 100 approvals (including authorisations) as sender and receiver of 
radioactive  waste  and  spent  fuel,  including  exports  to  Japan,  Norway  and  the  USA.  Moreover, 
under  each  authorisation  it  has  allowed  up  to  ten  transports  per  shipment,  although  in  one  case 
200  individual  transports  were  approved  under  a  single  shipment  authorisation  (Article  15  of 
Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

UNITED KINGDOM 

In the considered reporting period, the UK carried out one shipment of high-level vitrified waste 
to Sellafield's reprocessing customer in Switzerland. Since many years the UK has been shipping 
metallic wastes from nuclear decommissioning to Sweden and Germany, for treatment by metal-
melt  processing.  Shipments  have  also  been  made  for  other  treatments  and  processes,  including 
incineration and by receiving waste stemming from medical research. All shipments were carried 
out under the provisions of the Directive (Article 27 of Joint Convention). 

30  

Training Research Isotopes General Atomics. 

25 

 
 
                                                            
During the considered reporting period, the UK reported a total of 28 authorisations and consents 
under Directive 2006/117/EURATOM. One authorisation covering export of radioactive waste to 
Switzerland was reported (Article 15 of Directive 2006/117/EURATOM). 

26 

 
 
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 

DSRS    

Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources 

EU  

European Union 

EURATOM   European Atomic Energy Community 

IAEA    

International Atomic Energy Agency 

IM 

ME 

MM  

Import/s from outside EU 

Export/s to non EU countries 

Transit  internal  EU,  passing  from  one  Member  State  to  another  Member  State; 
Import/s intra EU; Export/s intra EU 

NORM  

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material 

NPP  

Nuclear Power Plant/s   

RAW    

Radioactive Waste 

SF  

Spent Fuel  

SWD    

Staff Working Document 

TT  

Transit/s from a country external to EU to a country external EU 

27