COMMISSION OPINION

of 4 December 2015

relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning and the dismantling of the La Hague UP2-400 Reprocessing Plant, located in France

(Only the French text is authentic)

(2015/C 405/01)

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(1).

On 20 May 2015, the European Commission received from the Government of France, 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 and the dismantling of the La Hague UP2-400 Reprocessing Plant.

On the basis of these data and additional information requested by the Commission on 22 June 2015 and provided by the French authorities on 21 July 2015, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion.

1.

The distance between the La Hague site and the nearest border with another Member State, in this case the United Kingdom, is 105 km. Belgium is the next nearest at a distance of 340 km.

The distance from the site to the nearest border of a neighbouring country, in this case the Channel Islands (British Crown Dependencies), is 20 km.

2.

During normal dismantling operations the discharges of liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents are not liable to cause an exposure of the population in another Member State, or in a neighbouring country, that would be significant from the point of view of health, in respect of the dose limit laid down in the new Basic Safety Standards (Directive 2013/59/Euratom).

3.

Solid radioactive waste is temporarily stored on site before being transferred to licensed treatment or disposal facilities located in France.

The Commission recommends that the residual activity concentration checks, carried out to confirm the conventional nature of the solid waste after decontamination, be such that compliance with the clearance criteria laid down in the new Basic Safety Standards (Directive 2013/59/Euratom) is ensured.

4.

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, in respect of the reference levels laid down in the new Basic Safety Standards (Directive 2013/59/Euratom).

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 and the dismantling of the La Hague UP2-400 reprocessing plant in France, both in normal operation and in the event of the accidents of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in a radioactive contamination, significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State or of a neighbouring country, in respect of the provisions laid down in the new Basic Safety Standards (Directive 2013/59/Euratom).

Done at Brussels, 4 December 2015.

For the Commission

Miguel ARIAS CAÑETE

Member of the Commission

(1)  For instance, under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, environmental aspects should be further assessed. Indicatively, the Commission would like to draw attention to the provisions of Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, as well as to the Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy.