Commission opinion approving plan for disposal of radioactive waste at Stade power plant, Germany

Brussels, April 2004

Commission opinion of 20 April 2004 concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning of the Stade Nuclear Power Plant in the Federal Republic of Germany, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty (OJ C100/19 24.4.2004). Text

On 24 July 2003, 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 arising from the decommissioning of the Stade Nuclear Power Plant.

On the basis of these data and the additional information requested by the Commission on 23 October 2003 and provided by the German Government on 17 December 2003, and following consultation with the group of experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

(a) The distance between the installation and the nearest border with another Member State which is Denmark is 150 km while Poland is 300 km away.

(b) During normal operation, discharges of liquid and gaseous effluent will not cause an exposure of the population in other Member States that is significant from the point of view of health.

(c) Solid radioactive waste arising from the dismantling will be stored in a facility on site. Non-radioactive solid waste and materials in compliance with clearance levels will be released from regulatory control for disposal as conventional waste or for recycling or reuse. This will be done in compliance 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 in whatever form arising from the decommissioning of the Stade Nuclear Power Station in the Federal Republic of Germany, 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.

Official Journal of the EC, No. C100/19 24.4.2004