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12.6.2012 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 166/1 |
COMMISSION OPINION
of 11 June 2012
relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), located at Cadarache, France, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
(Only the French text is authentic)
2012/C 166/01
The assessment below is carried out under the provisions of the Euratom Treaty, without prejudice to any additional assessments to be carried out under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the obligations stemming from it and from secondary legislation.
On 12 October 2011, the European Commission received from the French Government, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from ITER.
On the basis of these data and additional information requested by the Commission on 9 January 2012 and provided by the French authorities on 31 January 2012 and on 6 March 2012, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:
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1. |
The distance from the site to the nearest Member States, in this case Italy and Spain, are 120 km and 260 km respectively. |
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2. |
Under normal operating conditions, the discharges of liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents are unlikely to cause an exposure of the population in another Member State that is significant from the point of view of health. |
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3. |
Solid radioactive waste is temporarily stored on site before transfer to licensed treatment or disposal facilities located in France. |
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4. |
In the event of unplanned releases of radioactive effluents, which may follow an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population in another Member State would not be significant from the point of view of health. |
In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever form arising from ITER located at the Cadarache site in France, is not liable to result in radioactive contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State that would be significant from the point of view of health.
Done at Brussels, 11 June 2012.
For the Commission
Günther OETTINGER
Member of the Commission