32001A0306(01)

Commission Opinion

of 20 February 2001

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste from the dismantling of the Würgassen nuclear power plant located in North-Rhine Westphalia in the Federal Republic of Germany

(2001/C 72/02)

(Only the German text is authentic)

On 13 July 2000 the European Commission received from the German Government, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, general data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste resulting from the dismantling of the Würgassen nuclear power plant.

On the basis of these data and clarifications subsequently provided by the German Government, and following consultation with the group of experts, the Commision has drawn up the following opinion:

(a) The distance between the plant and the nearest point of another Member State, in this case The Netherlands, is approximately 220 km,

(b) Under normal operating conditions, the discharges of liquid and gaseous effluents will not cause an exposure of the population in other Member States significant from the point of view of health,

(c) Radioactive waste arising from the dismantling operations will be stored or disposed of in licensed sites in Germany; non-radioactive solid waste or residual materials which are released from regulatory control will be released for disposal as conventional waste or for reuse or recycling, in all cases complying with the criteria laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Directive 96/29/Euratom);

(d) In the event of unplanned discharges of radioactive waste, which may follow an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the general data, the doses likely to be received by the population in other Member States would not be significant from the point of view of health.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste, resulting from the dismantling of the Würgassen nuclear power plant, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the general data, is not liable to result in the radioactive contamination, significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.