Plan for disposal of radioactive waste at Cadarache, France, approved

Brussels, 1 August 2003

Commission opinion of 29 July 2003 concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the operation of the radioactive waste conditioning and storage facility (CEDRA) at the Cadarache site in France, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty (OJ C182/24 1.8.2003). Text [NB link expires 45 days from publication date]

On 23 January 2003 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 the operation of the radioactive waste conditioning and storage facility (CEDRA).

On the basis of these data and additional information provided by the French Government on 28 May 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, in this case Italy, is around 110 km; Spain is approximately 230 km away;

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

(c) solid radioactive waste arising from the treatment of waste will be stored in the facility or removed to licensed sites in France;

(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 operation of the radioactive waste conditioning and storage facility (CEDRA) at the Cadarache site in France, 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, C182/24 1.8.2003