Commission Opinion

of 22 December 2008

concerning the plans for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the JULES HOROWITZ research reactor and the MAGENTA fissile materials store, located on the site of Cadarache in France, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty

(Only the French text is authentic)

(2009/C 2/01)

On 29 April 2008, the European Commission received from the Government of France, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plans for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the JULES HOROWITZ research reactor and the MAGENTA fissile materials store, installations located on the site of Cadarache.

On the basis of these data and the complementary information provided by representatives of the French Government at the meeting of the Group of Experts on 15 and 16 September 2008, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

1. the distance between both installations and the nearest point on the territory of another Member State, in this case Italy is approximately 110 km, while Spain is 230 km away;

2. during normal operation, the discharges of liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents from both installations will not cause an exposure liable to affect the health of the population in another Member State;

3. solid radioactive waste arising from both installations will be temporarily stored on site before being transferred to a disposal facility authorised by the French Government. Spent fuel elements from the research reactor will be temporarily stored on site before being transported to the reprocessing plant at La Hague;

4. for both installations, in the event of unplanned releases of radioactive effluents, which may follow the accidents of the type and magnitude respectively considered in the General Data, the doses received in another Member State will not be liable to affect the health of the population.

IN CONCLUSION, the Commission is of the opinion that, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the implementation of the plans for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever form arising from either the JULES HOROWITZ research reactor or the MAGENTA fissile materials store, both located on the site of Cadarache in France, is not liable to result in radioactive contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.

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