COMMISSION OPINION

of 22 June 2016

relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning of Units 3 and 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Station, located in Bulgaria

(only the Bulgarian text is authentic)

(2016/C 242/01)

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 19 November 2015, the European Commission received from the Bulgarian 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 Units 3 and 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Station.

On the basis of these data and additional information requested by the Commission on 14 January 2016 and on 22 February 2016 and provided by the Bulgarian authorities on 12 February 2016 and on 4 April 2016, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

1.

The distance between the site and the nearest border with another Member State, in this case Romania is 4 km.

2.

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

3.

Solid radioactive waste will be temporarily stored on site awaiting the availability of a national repository.

Non-radioactive solid waste and residual materials in compliance with clearance levels will be released from regulatory control for disposal as conventional waste or for reuse or recycling; this will be done in compliance with the criteria laid down in the new Basic Safety Standards (Directive 2013/59/Euratom).

4.

In the event of unplanned releases of radioactive effluents that may follow the accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population of another Member State 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 of Units 3 and 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Station located in Bulgaria, both under normal decommissioning operations and in the event of an accident 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, in respect of the provisions laid down in the new Basic Safety Standards (Directive 2013/59/Euratom).

Done at Brussels, 22 June 2016.

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, 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.