WRITTEN QUESTION E-0217/00

by Mario Mantovani (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 February 2000)

Subject: Radioactive waste at the JRC in Ispra

Although it is now 16 years since the closure of the last working reactor at the JRC in Ispra, Italian newspapers have recently raised the issue of radioactive waste at the JRC.

In fact, there are 2500 cubic metres of radioactive waste stored in bituminous or cemented casks which have been kept at the Ispra Centre rather than being disposed of, probably because of the high costs of the disposal of and management of waste products from nuclear installations.

Needless to say, the presence of such dangerous materials is causing alarm and concern in the region.

Does the Commission have any information available on this question?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(23 March 2000)

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member's attention to its communication to Parliament and the Council entitled Historical liabilities resulting from nuclear activities carried out at the JRC under the Euratom Treaty decommissioning of obsolete nuclear installations and waste management(1).

The waste referred to by the Honourable Member is stored on appropriate premises, where it is monitored by instruments.

Nevertheless the Commission has undertaken to review its encapsulation in agreement with the Italian authorities.

As stated in the communication, that waste will be stored in a perfectly safe manner at the Ispra site while awaiting a final storage centre in Italy.

(1) COM(1999) 114 final.