Commission opinion

of 24 July 2000

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste from the decommissioning and dismantling of the Braunschweig Research and Measuring Reactor (FMRB) located in Lower-Saxony in the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty

(2000/C 223/02)

(Only the German text is authentic)

On 10 January 2000, the European Commission received from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, general data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste resulting from the decommissioning and dismantling of the Braunschweig Research and Measuring Reactor (FMRB).

On the basis of these data and clarifications subsequently provided by the German Government, and following consultation with the group of experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion.

(a) The distance between the plant and the nearest point of another Member State, in this case the Netherlands, is approximately 230 km.

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

(c) Radioactive waste arising from the dismantling operations will be stored or disposed of in licensed sites in Germany; non-radioactive solid waste or residual materials and materials which are released from regulatory control will be released for disposal as conventional waste or for reuse or recycling, in all cases complying with the clearance criteria laid down in the basic safety standards (Directive 96/29/Euratom).

(d) In the event of unplanned discharges of readioactive 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 from the decommissioning and dismantling of the Braunschweig Research and Measuring Reactor (FMRB) located in Lower-Saxony 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.