21.12.2011

Official Journal of the European Union

C 373/3

COMMISSION OPINION

of 20 December 2011

relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste from the Very Low-level Waste Repository located adjacent to the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant site in Lithuania, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty

(Only the Lithuanian text is authentic)

2011/C 373/02

The assessment below is carried out under the provisions of the Euratom Treaty, without prejudice to any additional assessments to be carried out under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the obligations stemming from it and from secondary legislation.

On 16 June 2011, the European Commission received from the Lithuanian Government, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the Very Low-level Waste Repository, located adjacent to the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant site in Lithuania.

On the basis of these data and additional information requested by the Commission on 6 July 2011 and provided by the Lithuanian authorities on 1 August 2011, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

1.	The distance between the installation and the nearest point of another Member State, in this case Latvia, is 8 km. The next nearest Member State is Poland at some 250 km. The Republic of Belarus, as neighbouring country, is at a distance of 5 km.

During the operational period of the repository:

—	Radioactive waste will be emplaced in the repository without intention of retrieval.

—

The repository will not be subject to a discharge authorisation for liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents. Under normal operational conditions, radioactive gases will emanate and radioactive leachates may escape from the repository in minute amounts; these will however not be liable to affect the health of the population of another Member State or a neighbouring country.

—

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

3.	After the final closure of the repository:

The measures envisaged for the final closure of the repository as described in the General Data provide reliance that the conclusions under point 2 above will remain valid in the long-term.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever form arising from the Very Low-level Waste Repository located adjacent to the site of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania, during its normal operational period and after its final closure, as well as in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in a radioactive contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State or a neighbouring country.

Done at Brussels, 20 December 2011.

For the Commission

Günther OETTINGER

Member of the Commission