REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the work under the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme to Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania and JRC programme in 2022 and previous years
Date: 2024-04-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Energy
Subjects: Bulgaria, EU policy, Lithuania, Slovakia, decommissioning of power stations, nuclear policy, nuclear power station, nuclear safety, principle of additionality, radioactive waste

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 29.4.2024  COM(2024) 181 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of the work under the nuclear decommissioning assistance programme to Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania and JRC programme in 2022 and previous years                                                                   
 
 
1.  SUMMARY AND HIGHLIGHTS 

The  nuclear  decommissioning  programmes  co-funded  by  the  European  Union  in 
Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania accomplished the main objectives which were set in the 
previous  Multiannual  Financial  Framework  (MFF  2014-2020).  For  the  current  MFF 
2021-2027  new  objectives  were  set  and  the  decommissioning  and  radioactive  waste 
management programme of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) was 
joined under the same funding regulations. The co-funding provided as of 2021 will lead 
to  completion  of  the  decommissioning  in  Slovakia  and  Bulgaria,  while  it  will  assist 
Lithuania  in  embarking  on  the  actual  dismantling  of  the  Ignalina  reactors,  a  first-of-a-
kind  technological  challenge  on  a  global  scale.  The  funding  will  also  ensure  steady 
progress  of  (pre)decommissioning  activities  mainly  at  the  JRC  site  in  Italy,  as  well  as 
waste  management  and  removal  of  obsolete  equipment  in  the  other  three  JRC  sites 
(Belgium, Germany, Netherlands) with operating nuclear research infrastructure.  

During  2022,  preparatory  activities  of  key  upcoming  projects  again  progressed  at  a 
slower  rate  than  planned,  in  spite  of  the  progress  of  works  on  the  ground,  which  was 
excellent in some particular cases. 

Key highlights of the programmes’ implementation in 2022 are: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

in  Bulgaria,  completed  decontamination  of  reactors  to  prepare  the  subsequent  safe 
dismantling,  and  further  progress  of  the  construction  of  the  near-surface  repository 
for low- and intermediate-level waste; 
in  Slovakia,  completed  dismantling  of  the  reactors,  where  all  reactor  components 
were fragmented, decontaminated and packaged; 
in  Lithuania,  finalised  removal  of  spent  fuel  assemblies  from  the  spent  fuel  pool, 
henceforth start of preparations for dismantling of the two reactors; 
recycling of large amounts of materials, in particular metals; for example in Slovakia 
the  rate  of  release  of  metals  from  regulatory  control  exceeded  95%,  and  more  than 
3 500 tonnes have been recycled; 
in  JRC-Ispra,  the  interim  storage  facility  started  operations  to  store  unconditioned 
very-low-level  waste,  the  decommissioning  application  for  the  research  reactor  and 
hot-cells facility were submitted, and a contract was signed for the alienation of fresh 
nuclear material; 
for  JRC  other  sites  (Petten,  Karlsruhe,  Geel)  the  programme  continued  to  focus  on 
reducing the legacy waste inventory and preparatory planning work and financing for 
final disposal. 

The  decommissioning  of  nuclear  facilities  and  the  management  of  the  arising  waste 
under a common instrument in the 2021-2027 MFF is taking advantage of synergies and 
knowledge  sharing  with  a  view  to  ensure  dissemination  of  knowledge  and  return  of 
experience  via  a  dedicated  platform  being  set  up  by  the  JRC.  The  synergic  approach 
promoted by the European Commission has come to full fruition in Bulgaria, where the 
decontamination equipment and processes previously used in Slovakia were succesfully 
deployed with a substantially higher efficiency and cost savings. This positive experience 
will  be  replicated  across  the  sites  whenever  applicable,  under  the  sponsorship  of  the 
European Commission. 

1 

 
2.  FRAMEWORK OF THE PROGRAMMES 

The  multiannual  financial  framework  (MFF)  2021-2027  includes  funding  programmes 
for  decommissioning  and  radioactive  waste  management,  which  are  set  out  in  two 
Regulations (1) (hereinafter ‘the Regulations’) that provide a common framework for the 
Kozloduy nuclear power plants (units 1 to 4) in Bulgaria, the Bohunice V1 nuclear power 
plant in Slovakia, the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania, and the nuclear research 
installations  of  the  European  Commission  Joint  Research  Centre  (JRC)  in  Belgium, 
Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. 

This  report presents  the  implementation  of the work carried out  until  2022  under those 
programmes  in accordance with Article 10of the Regulations. 

2.1.  Nuclear Decommissioning Assistance Programmes 

The  first  set  of  programmes,  also  known  as  the  Nuclear  Decommissioning  Assistance 
Programmes  (NDAP),  provides  financial  assistance  for  the  decommissioning  of  a 
specific  list  of  eight  nuclear  reactors  located  in  Bulgaria,  Lithuania,  and  Slovakia.  The 
programmes  originated  in  the  early  2000s  and  are  based  on  decommissioning  plans 
containing  clear  provisions  on  scope,  budget  and  planning.  The  disposal  of  spent  fuel 
and radioactive waste in a deep geological repository is excluded from the programmes 
and 
the  Council 
Directive 2011/70/Euratom (2). 

to  be  handled  by  each  Member  State  as  required  by 

is 

The European Commission has entrusted the implementation of these programmes to the 
European  Bank  for  Reconstruction  and  Development  (EBRD)  for  all  three  sites  (since 
2001);  the  Central  Project  Management  Agency  (CPMA)  for  the  Ignalina  programme 
(since  2003);  and  the  Slovak  Innovation  and  Energy  Agency  (SIEA)  for  the  Bohunice 
programme (since 2016). 

2.2. 

JRC Decommissioning and Waste Management Programme 

The  Decommissioning  and  Waste  Management  Programme  (D&WM)  of  JRC  entails  a 
complex  set  of  specific  activities  and  projects  with  related  objectives.  In  Ispra  (Italy), 
where most of the nuclear facilities ceased to operate before 1999 and where  there is a 
well-established  organisational  structure  since  the  launch  of  the  programme,  the 
objectives include safe conservation, pre-decommissioning, decommissioning and waste 
management targets covering a variety of obsolete large installations and waste batches. 
For  the  other  JRC  sites  the  objectives  are,  to  a  large  extent,  focused  on  legacy  waste 
management,  the  minimisation  of  the  inventory  of  radioactive  waste  and  nuclear 
material,  dismantling  of  obsolete  equipment  and  relatively  small  facilities  and  on  the 
definition of plans and the organisation  of  teams  to  implement  future decommissioning 
and waste management activities. 

(1)  

Council Regulation (Euratom) No 2021/100 of 25 January 2021 establishing a dedicated financial 
programme for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and the management of radioactive  waste 
and repealing Regulation (Euratom) No 1368/2013 (OJ L 34, p. 3–17); 
Council  Regulation  (EU)  No  2021/101  of  25  January  2021  establishing 
the  nuclear 
decommissioning  assistance  programme  of  the  Ignalina  nuclear  power  plant  in  Lithuania  and 
repealing Regulation (EU) No 1369/2013 (OJ L 34, 1.2.2021, p. 18–28). 

(2)  

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 (OJ L199, 2.8.2011, p. 48). 

2 

 
 
 
The  JRC  implements  directly  the  D&WM  programme;  i.e.  JRC  staff  manages  the 
programme, while activities are outsourced. As part of the objectives of the Regulations, 
exploring the transfer of the liabilities to host Member States is considered as an option. 

3.  BUDGETARY IMPLEMENTATION AND CO-FINANCING 

The EU financial support provided by the Regulations will enable Bulgaria and Slovakia 
to  complete  the  decommissioning  of  the  concerned  reactors  and  help  Lithuania  to 
proceed  safely  and  steadily  with  the  decommissioning  of  the  Ignalina  nuclear  power 
plant,  a  first-of-a-kind  process  on  an  unprecedented  scale  that  involves  retrieving  and 
packaging a large amount of irradiated graphite. 

Accordingly, the funding of the Kozloduy and Bohunice programmes will be completed 
within the current MFF 2021-2027 and no additional funding from the European Union 
will be needed. Conversely, the Ignalina programme is scheduled to last until 2038 and 
additional funding from the European Union may therefore be needed after the end of the 
current MFF, hence as of 2028. This however does not prejudge any discussions on the 
future MFF. 

Bulgaria and Slovakia have established dedicated national funds providing financing for 
decommissioning and radioactive waste management. These are complemented by other 
national  resources,  mostly  from  national  budgets.  For  the  Ignalina  programme,  the 
Lithuanian  government  undertook  a  commitment  to  provide  14%  of  the  overall  budget 
from  national  sources  until  the  end  of  the  programme.  The  Regulations  introduced 
maximum co-financing rates for the EU contribution under the MFF 2021-27; these rates 
are  50%  for  the  Kozloduy  and  Bohunice  programmes  and  86%  for  the  Ignalina 
programme. 

Table  1  displays  the  shares  of  funding  since  the  start  of  the  programmes  in  the  early 
2000s as well as the ‘Budget At Completion’, including contingencies and risks. Based 
on monitoring activities and risk assessments in 2022, the Commission has no indication 
that the budgets will increase. 

Table 1: NDAP funding contributions, EUR million 

NDAP 

Member 
State 

Other 
donors 

EU 

Total 

Kozloduy 

Bohunice 

Ignalina 

35.7% 

40.5% 

14.0% 

0.6% 

0.7% 

0.7% 

63.7% 

58.8% 

60.5% 

100.0% 

100.0% 

75.2% (3) 

Budget at 
completio
n 
1 358 

1 220 

3 345 

Source: Monitoring reports, annual work programmes, EBRD, CPMA, SIEA. 

The timeframe for the decommissioning of JRC facilities will extend until the decade of 
2040  for  Ispra  and  2060  for  Karlsruhe  and  Geel  because  the  programme  also  covers 
experimental  facilities  that  are  still  in  operation.  The  selection  of  the  decommissioning 
scenario to be implemented will be finalised in the last decade of their operational life. 

(3)  

The  total  funding  amounts  from  MFF  2021-27  and  previous  MFFs  do  not  cover  the  whole  LT 
programme which is foreseen to continue (unlike for BG and SK) after 2027. 

3 

 
 
The current estimated budget at the completion of the decommissioning activities in Ispra 
is EUR 926 million. 

4.  PROGRESS AND PERFORMANCE 

The European Commission monitors progress and performance against the objectives set 
out in the Regulations, by means of an extended set of performance indicators defined in 
the Regulations’ Annexes, including the earned value management (EVM) system (4). In 
parallel,  the  programmes’  critical  path (5)  is  monitored  with  the  utmost  attention  and, 
where risks are identified, mitigating actions are proposed. 

For NDAP, risks of delay in completing the individual programmes are very high in spite 
of mitigation measures. While ongoing activities on the ground are carried out safely and 
do not raise concerns in terms of spending and schedule, the slow roll out of preparatory 
activities of next stages sheds doubts on the feasibility of the programmes before the set 
end-dates. 

4.1.  Bulgaria — Kozloduy programme 

Units 1-4 at the Kozloduy plant are VVER (6) 440/230 reactors. Units 1 and 2 were shut 
down in 2002 and Units 3 and 4 in 2006. The units are located in proximity of other two 
units (Kozloduy 5 and 6), which are in operation. 

Under  the  supervision  of  the  Ministry  of  Energy,  the  State  Enterprise  for  Radioactive 
Waste  (SERAW)  is  the  licensed  operator  in  charge  of  decommissioning  as  well  as  of 
building  and  operating  the  national  disposal  facility  for  low-  and  intermediate-level 
radioactive waste. 

In 2022, SERAW has intensified their decontamination and dismantling activities within 
the reactor buildings. The similarity of the Bohunice and Kozloduy reactors provided an 
excellent  opportunity  to  share  experience,  methods  and  equipment,  thus  reducing  risks 
and cost. SERAW benefitted from Slovak know-how and deployed used equipment from 
Bohunice  for  the  decontamination  of  the  primary  circuits.  As  a  consequence  the 
decontamination of four units in Kozloduy was completed with optimal results and in a 
shorter time. Figure 1 illustrates improvements due to synergies and knowledge sharing. 

(4)  

(5)  

(6)  

ISO 21508:2018 Earned value management in project and programme management. 

In  project  planning,  the  critical  path  is  the  longest  sequence  of  tasks  that  must  be  done  to 
successfully complete the project. Tasks that are in the critical path, if delayed, will delay the whole 
project. 

Вводо-водяной  энергетический  реактор  /  vodo-vodyanoi  energetichesky  reaktor  (VVER  — 
water-water power reactor) is a series of pressurised water reactors 

4 

 
 
Figure 1. Comparison of performance (percentages) and schedule (dates) of the 
reactors’ decontamination at Bohunice V1 and Kozloduy Units 1-4. 

Having  completed  successfully  the  decontamination,  SERAW  engaged  right  after  in 
dismantling reactors’ large items, such as main valves and circulation pumps. 

The  construction  of  the  near-surface  repository  for  low-  and  intermediate-level  waste 
(National Disposal Facility) started in 2017 and finished in 2023. This milestone will be 
key to ensure completing the programme by the end of 2030. 

The  operational  campaigns  of  the  plasma  melting  facility (7)  continued  successfully: 
between  2019  and  2022,  SERAW  has  carried  out  five  operational  campaigns  and 
launched  the  sixth  one,  obtaining  a  volume  reduction  of  the  waste  by  50  times  on 
average. In the frame of knowledge sharing the main features of this project are presented 
in  a  dedicated  ‘knowledge  product’  (see  section  5)  to  facilitate  business  cases  of 
interested waste managers in the European Union. 

In  terms  of  key  monitoring  indicators,  as  of  the  end  of  2022  SERAW  has  processed 
1,568  tonnes  of  metal  (14%  of  the  MFF  target)  and  released  6,527  tonnes  of  diverse 
materials for recycling (50% of the MFF target), while the amount of stored radioactive 
waste is over 5% of the MFF target. (8) 

The programme performance baseline remains unchanged, with the end of execution date 
set  in  2030.  Figure  2  shows  the  amount  of  work  carried  out  (earned  value)  against  the 
plan  (baseline).  The  baseline  includes  contingencies  and  this  explains  part  of  the  gap 
compared with the actual progress. 

(7)  

The plasma melting facility is a first-of-its-kind installation for reducing the volume of radioactive 
waste. It employs a very-high temperature thermal treatment that produces a solid waste form which 
is particularly stable and safe.  As per the estimate of the operator, the project will lead to savings 
around 40% compared to other treatments such as super-compaction techniques, for the processing 
and disposal of low-level waste. 

(8)   More on performance indicators is published at 

Nuclear Decommissioning - Performance (europa.eu) 

5 

Bohunice2Bohunice1Kozloduy3Kozloduy4Kozloduy1Kozloduy22017202217/718/824/918/105/225/217/32/411/528/512/626/698%99.6%98%99%94%97%AR = activity removedAR 
 
 
 
Figure 2. Kozloduy programme — progress and performance. 

Overall  the  indicators  show  that  the  decommissioning  programme  in  Kozloduy  has 
progressed well in 2022; however, the lessons learnt in Bohunice demonstrated that risk 
of  delays  in  the  upcoming  activities  are  to  be  tackled  well  in  advance.  In  2021  the 
European  Commission  had  requested  the  execution  of  a  stress-test  on  the  overall 
schedule in order to confirm whether the completion date of the programme can be met, 
and  to  assess  risks  and  mitigation  measures.  Preliminary  results  of  this  exercise 
confirmed  that  the  risk  of  a  delayed  programme  end-date  is  high,  therefore  the 
Commission  has  requested  SERAW  to  roll  out  a  risk  mitigation  plan  under  the 
supervision of the Ministry of Energy. 

4.2. 

Slovakia — Bohunice programme 

The Bohunice V1 plant consists of two VVER 440/230 reactors. Unit 1 was shut down in 
2006 and Unit 2 in 2008. The units are located in proximity of two other units (Bohunice 
V2) which are in operation, and another unit (Bohunice A1) under decommissioning. 

Under  the  administrative  supervision  of  the  Ministry  of  Economy,  Jadrová  a 
vyraďovacia  spoločnosť  (JAVYS)  is  the  operator  in  charge  of  decommissioning 
Bohunice V1.  Its  mission  includes  the  safe  decommissioning  of  the  nuclear  facilities, 
spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management on Slovak territory. 

During  2022,  JAVYS  and  their  contractors  have  fragmented,  decontaminated  and 
packaged all reactor components, thus meeting a key milestone in the decommissioning 
process.  Field  work  progressed  at  a  rather  satisfactory  pace  also  in  dismantling  other 
systems in the reactor building and the focus is currently onto removal of contaminated 
concrete from the building structures. 

The decontamination  process  achieved a very high  level  of efficiency  up to  99%:  from 
June  2019  until  the  end  of  2022  cumulatively  3,117  tonnes  of  contaminated  metallic 
materials were decontaminated with an amount of 2,910 tonnes of free-released materials 
and 173 tonnes for further processing (decay storage or melting) before free–release. 

6 

00.250.50.7511.251.5€billionBaseline 2014Baseline 2018Earned value 
 
In  terms  of  key  monitoring  indicators,  as  of  end  of  2022  JAVYS  had  removed  5,155 
tonnes  of  metal  (16%  of  the  MFF  target)  and  disposed  of  very-low-  and  low-level 
radioactive waste achieving 16% of the MFF target. (9) 

As  reported  previously  (10),  JAVYS  had  to  revise  the  overall  programme  schedule  and 
postpone  the  end-date  until  2027  without  implications  on  the  budget;  therefore  a  new 
baseline  is  in  place.  Figure  3  shows  the  amount  of  work  carried  out  (earned  value) 
against the new plan (baseline). 

Figure 3. Bohunice programme — progress and performance 

The Bohunice programme is the most advanced of the three NDAP and may well become 
the first completed decommissioning  of a VVER-type reactor world-wide. Nonetheless, 
meeting the 2027 end-date remains very challenging because the procurement of works 
for  the  final  demolition  of  the  reactor  building  is  yet  to  be  done  so  that  further  delays 
cannot be ruled out at this point in time. With the allocated Union financial support, the 
programme  has  accomplished  the  most  relevant  milestones  of  a  decommissioning 
process, has reduced the radiological hazards on site by several orders of magnitude and 
will soon prepare the building for its demolition under close-to-conventional conditions. 

(9)   More on performance indicators is published at 

Nuclear Decommissioning - Performance (europa.eu) 

(10)   Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of 
the  work  under  the  nuclear  decommissioning  assistance  programme  to  Bulgaria,  Slovakia  and 
Lithuania and JRC programme in 2021 and previous years. COM(2022) 663 final 

7 

00.250.50.7511.251.5€billionBaseline 2018Baseline 2021Earned value 
 
 
 
4.3.  Lithuania — Ignalina programme 

The  Ignalina  plant  consists  of  two  RBMK (11)  1500  reactors.  Unit  1  was  shut  down  in 
2004 and Unit 2 in 2009. Lithuania does not operate other nuclear reactors. 

Under  the  administrative  supervision  of  the  Ministry  of  Energy,  the  state  enterprise 
Ignalina  Nuclear  Power  Plant  (INPP)  is  the  operator  in  charge  of  the  facilities  under 
decommissioning and, since 2019, also the waste disposal facilities. 

As of end 2022, INPP had completed the removal of the spent-fuel assemblies from the 
reactor buildings and had safely transferred them to the interim dry-storage facility. This 
was a major milestone in terms of nuclear safety and reduction of the radiological risk, 
opening  the  way  to  the  dismantling  of  the  reactor  core  systems.  Meanwhile,  INPP 
completed also the cleaning-up, emptying and decontaminating of the spent fuel pools. 

The  dismantling  of  the  Ignalina  reactors  is  a  technological  challenge,  because  never 
before has a large reactor graphite core been dismantled. In a first phase, started in 2020 
and  running  up  to  2027,  INPP  will  remove  all  peripheral  components  from  the  reactor 
pit. The design of the subsequent removal of the content of the pits – the graphite, metal 
structures and filling material and the design of the facility for the temporary storage of 
the irradiated waste is being preceded by optioneering (12) studies, which started in 2022 
and  is  involving  internationally  recognised  expert  companies.  The  delayed  start  of  the 
optioneering,  due  to  complex  procurement  preparations  between  the  programme 
stakeholders,  will  require  a  reassessment  of  the  programme  end-date  at  the  end  of  the 
optioneering stage. 

INPP has not completed as planned the procurement procedure for the construction of the 
near  surface  repository  for  low  and  intermediate-level  due  to  the  legal  action  of  an 
excluded tenderer. However, INPP completed the construction of the landfill facility for 
very-low-level short-lived waste; the first loading campaign was carried out and the final 
commissioning is ongoing. Upon the successful completion of these facilities, INPP will 
have  all  the  tools  needed  for  disposal  of  the  short-lived  radioactive  waste  under  the 
decommissioning  plan.  A  blueprint  is  under  development  for  the  conversion  of  the 
bituminised-waste storage vaults into a repository, under the surveillance of the relevant 
regulatory bodies. 

In terms of key monitoring indicators, as of end of 2022 INPP had dismantled 384 tonnes 
of metal (9% of the MFF target), had disposed of 4,094 m3 of very-low-level radioactive 
waste  (14%  of  the  MFF  target),  and  had  stored  678 m3  of  low-level  and  intermediate-
level radioactive waste (7% of the MFF target). (13) 

The  programme  performance  baseline  remains  unchanged  and  sets  the  programme 
completion date for 2038. Figure 4 shows the amount of work carried out (earned value) 
against the plan (baseline).  

(11) 

Реактор  Большой  Мощности  Канальный  /  reaktor  bolshoy  moshchnosti  kanalnyy  (RBMK  — 
high-power  channel-type  reactor)  is  a  class  of  graphite-moderated  nuclear  power  reactor  (also 
installed in Chernobyl). 

(12)   Optioneering is an iterative process between options identification, assessment and definition. 

(13)  More on performance indicators is published at 

Nuclear Decommissioning (Lithuania) - Performance (europa.eu)  

8 

 
 
 
Figure 4. Ignalina programme — progress and performance 

4.4. 

JRC - D&WM programmes 

The  JRC  owns  several  research  facilities,  including  research  reactors,  in  Ispra  (Italy), 
Karlsruhe  (Germany),  Petten  (the  Netherlands)  and  Geel  (Belgium).  While  the 
decommissioning programme started in Italy at beginning of 2000s, the facilities on the 
other sites are still operational and activities are limited to legacy waste magement and 
removal of nuclear material. 

In Ispra, several pre-disposal waste management activities are under way: 

• 

• 

the design  and manufacturing activities for upgrading  the waste characterisation 
system have proceeded and the project is expected to be completed within 2023; 
the supercompaction of radiactive waste has been postponed by about  one year, 
pending reactivation of the external super-compaction facility; 

•  construction  of  a  facility  for  retrieving  buried  bituminised  legacy  waste  showed 
some delays due to a wide characterisation campaign requested by the Regulator 
to resume the onsite works; 
the  construction  of  a  grouting  facility  for  radiactive  waste  was  delayed  due  to 
contractual issues; 

• 

•  after  entry into operation of the  interim storage  facility, some 1000 drums  were 

transferred for storage; 

•  processing of radioactive waste progressed  faster than  planned, with  346 tonnes 

of waste and material processed against a target of 305 tonnes. 

9 

00.511.522.533.5€ billionBaseline 2014Baseline 2018Earned value 
 
 
 
 
In addition, JRC proceeded to the management of nuclear materials: 

• 

the  feasibility  studies  for  off-site  storage  of  irradiated  nuclear  material  were 
completed; 

•  alienation of part of the inventory of non-irradiated nuclear material is on-going 
licensing 
the  design  of  repackaging  activities  and  preparation  of 

with 
documentation.  

As part of the process for authorisation of the decommissioning of the research reactor, 
the  Environmental  Impact  Assessment  has  been  accepted  by  the  Italian  authorities. 
Licensing  documentation  necessary  to  obtain  the  update  of  all  the  nuclear  licenses 
according to the new Italian nuclear law 101/2020 was prepared and submitted according 
to the deadlines. 

Figure  5 (14)  shows  the  amount  of  work  carried  out  (earned  value)  against  the  plan 
(baseline)  that  is  still  unchanged  with  respect  to  the  beginning  of  the  programme. 
Schedule and cost indicators show that the programme is behind schedule and is costing 
less than planned. 

Figure 5. JRC progress and performance – Ispra site in Italy. 

In  Geel  activities  concern  both  waste  management  and  characterisation  operation  and 
some small decommissioning projects. To reduce the inventory of fissile materials, three 
options  are  being  pursued:  return  to  the  country  of  origin,  handover  to  member  states, 

(14)  During 2022 a rebalancing of the budget assigned to the tasks of several project has been performed, 
assigning more value to tasks to be performed during the operational phases and less to the design, 
licensing  and  procurement  phases.  For  this  reason  the  earned  value  curve  (green)  shows  a 
downward trend, recovered at the beginning of 2023. 

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050100150200250300350400€ MillionsBaseline 2021Earned Value 
 
 
and disposal. Contracts were signed to return some materials to the country of origin in 
2023. 

In  Petten,  the  decommissioning  and  waste  management  programme  concerns  the  High 
Flux Reactor of which JRC is the owner and the Dutch company NRG is the operator and 
license holder. The date of its shut-down is still uncertain, however it is tightly connected 
to the commissioning of the PALLAS reactor, which will replace its medical radioisotope 
production capacity. PALLAS has been recognised as a high priority and is being built, 
however  the  schedule  for  start  of  operations  has  not  yet  been  settled  and  an  overlap 
transition  period  will  have  to  be  considered.  JRC  anticipates  a  final  decision  in  the 
present  decade  at  the  latest.  NRG  has  submitted  to  the  Regulator  an  update  of  the 
decommissioning  plan which is now the object of a thorough attention  and discussions 
between  JRC  and  NRG  to  better  define  the  most  efficient  approach  (organisation, 
scenarios and evaluation of related costs). 

A  new  Framework  contract  to  remove  JRC-Petten's  historical  waste  has  been  finalised 
and first batches of waste will be handled from 2023 on. 

the 

facilities  and  no  major 

the  scientific  operations  of 

In  Karlsruhe,  the  decommissioning  and  waste  management  programme  runs  in  parallel 
infrastructure 
with 
decommissioning  project  has  been  considered  until  now.  The  reduction  of  the  nuclear 
material  inventory  remains  a  priority,  as  well  as  dismantling  and  disposal  of  historical 
including  hot  cells’  components,  waste 
disused  glove  boxes  and  equipment, 
characterisation of backlog waste drums and removal to an external German facility. In 
2022 the campaign of dismantling obsolete glove-boxes, as established in the planning, 
reached the target milestone of above 70%. Huge efforts have been invested in clearance 
procedures of waste coming from the facilities, which allowed disposing as conventional 
waste  of  more  than  over  20  tonnes/year  averaged  over  the  last  10  years,  leading  to 
significant  financial  savings.  This  would  justify  further  efforts  and  investment  of 
resources in clearance processes and waste characterisation set-ups. 

5.  KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION 

In line with the objectives of the Regulations, knowledge created in the implementation 
process of the programmes has to be disseminated at EU level.  

Knowledge is gathered in the form of ‘knowledge products’, which are tangible outputs 
(such  as  documents,  reports,  services,  events,  media)  of  prepared  information/data  that 
enables  action  of  selected  users.  Specific  key  projects  were  the  source  of  such 
knowledge. 

In 2022, the following knowledge products were generated and made available: 

•  Bulgaria, Kozloduy Plasma Melting Facility: An overview of the lessons learned, 
and best practices acquired by SERAW in the treatment of low- and intermediate-
level radioactive waste using plasma melting process; 

•  Slovakia,  Experience  of  Bohunice  V1  NPP 

risk  management  of 
decommissioning  projects  and  application  of  Monte  Carlo  simulations  for 
schedule analysis and cost estimation; 

in 

11 

 
•  Lithuania,  Lessons  Learned  at  INPP  in  the  Project  ‘Installation  of  Radioactive 

Metal Waste Treatment Facility’. 

Knowledge production is progressing as planned, but it is expected that, as experience is 
gathered,  additional  knowledge  products  will  be  available  in  the  next  years.  The 
knowledge products generated so far are stored in newly created website on the Science 
Hub  (15).  The  Science  Hub  site  serves  to  promote  the  initiative  and  to  make  the 
knowledge products generated so far publicly available. 

6.  ACTIVITIES RESULTING FROM CALLS FOR TENDERS 

The Regulations (Article 10(3)) require the European Commission to report annually on 
the rate of activities resulting from calls for tenders. 

Table  2  displays  the  funding  committed  by  the  entrusted  entities  and  the  JRC  via 
contracts  or grants. The  table differentiates  the  activities  resulting  from  call for tenders 
and  those  not  open  to  competition,  such  as  direct  grants  to  the  decommissioning 
operators for salaries, small procurements and radioactive waste management. 

Table 2:  Breakdown of activities – 2014-2022 (EUR million) 

Programme 

Competitive 
procedures 

Contracts 

Not open to competition 

Contract 
Amendments 

Contracts 

Grants 

Kozloduy 

Bohunice 

Ignalina 

JRC (*) 

66% 

59% 

32% 

22% 

33% 

8% 

99.3% 

0.7% 

4% 

8% 

3% 

- 

Total 

409.5 

395.1 

9% 

- 

57% 

428.6 

- 

63.1 

Source:  Information  submitted  by  the  NDAP  entrusted  entities  (CPMA,  EBRD,  SIEA)  and  JRC. 
(*) For the period 2021-2022. 

7.  CONCLUSIONS 

The  NDAP  continued  to  make  effective  progress  in  2022,  progressively  reducing  the 
radiological risks for the EU citizens. However, delays in preparatory activities for future 
projects  are  increasing  so  that  the  programmes  will  not  be  completed  by  the  initially 
planned  dates.  The  co-funding  provided  as  of  2021  will  lead  to  completion  of  the 
decommissioning  in  Slovakia  and  Bulgaria,  while  it  will  assist  Lithuania  in  embarking 
the actual dismantling of the Ignalina reactors. 

(15)  

https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/scientific-activities-z/eu-nuclear-decommissioning-
knowledge-management_en 

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The stress-test of the Kozloduy programme schedule, which has been underpinned also 
by  an  assessment  of  SERAW's  organisational  adequacy  for  the  next  stages  of 
decommissioning,  indicates  that  mitigation  measures  must  be  set  out  to  continue 
delivering success stories. In Slovakia, the slow roll out of procuring the last significant 
contract  for  demolitions  hinders  visibility  of  the  finish  line,  in  spite  of  significant 
accomplishments on the ground. In Ignalina, the selection of the technical solution for the 
dismantling of the reactors will be decisive for the confirmation of the programme end-
date and overall funding needs after 2027. 

Despite those setbacks, the adequateness of the EU financial support to the programmes 
during the 2021-2027 MFF is not in question. 

The delays reported above and in previous sections have been appearing in a lower-than-
planned  funding  absorption  ratio.  Should  this  trend  continue,  the  Commission  may 
consider adjustments in the financial programming of those programmes, in the  context 
of the annual budgetary procedure. 

The  JRC  programme,  despite  some  delays  in  some  areas,  has  almost  completed  the 
licensing  effort 
the  necessary  decommissioning  authorisations,  with 
decommissioning licenses expected between 2023 and 2025. Delays were experienced in 
the  completion  of  the  waste  management  routes,  due  to  the  failure  of  the  construction 
contract of the grouting station and delays in the construction of the retrieval facility. 

to  obtain 

The funding will also ensure steady progress of (pre)decommissioning activities mainly 
at the JRC site in Italy, as well as waste management and removal of obsolete equipment 
in  the  other  three  JRC  sites  (Belgium,  Germany,  Netherlands)  with  operating  nuclear 
research infrastructure. 

In 2024 the Commission  will prepare the interim  evaluation  of the programmes, which 
will report also about further major developments achieved in 2023: 

Kozloduy programme 

➢  completed construction of the national disposal facility; 

Bohunice programme 

➢  decontamination  of  concrete  structures  to  enable  quasi-conventional  building 

demolition; 

Ignalina programme 

➢  follow up of the optioneering studies for the dismantling of the graphite cores. 

JRC 

In Ispra, progress in managing legacy radioactive waste; authorisation to the treatment of 
metallic  waste,  to  carry  out  shipments  of  supercompactable  waste,  and  to  start  the 
treatment of bituminised drums. Furthermore, update of licenses for all facilities (16), as 
well as decommissioning authorisation for a hot cell complex; work on the evacuation of 
fresh nuclear material. 

(16)   According to the new Italian Nuclear Law 101/2020 

13 

 
 
In  Petten,  the  new  Framework  Contract  with  the  Dutch  NRG  for  the  handling  and 
conditioning  of  JRC’s  historical  wastes  in  view  of  disposal  at  the  COVRA  facility  has 
been finalised and first projects to be executed from 2023 on. The major concern remains 
the decommissioning of the High Flux Reactor which timing is still uncertain as closely 
linked  to  the  start  operation  of  the  PALLAS  reactor  within  this  decade.  A  thorough 
decommissioning  plan,  its  structure,  organisation  and  scenarios  of  implementation  and 
their costs are being studied and discussed with the Netherlands. 

In  Karlsruhe  and  Geel,  major  activities  are  the  removal  of  obsolete  equipment; 
minimisation of the inventory of radioactive waste and nuclear material; conditioning or 
disposal  of  historical  waste  liabilities  as  well  as  preparatory  phases  of  the  dismantling, 
phasing out or decommissioning of building parts. 

14