Implementering av Rådets Direktiv 2011/70/Euratom Forskningens bäring i nationella utlåtanden 2015-2018

Abstract

The purpose of the Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom was to establish a common framework for and, by extension, to harmonise the management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel within the European Union. The Directive stipulates that all member states present a national programme, as well as a regular report on the implementation of said programme, to the European Commission. Despite the Directive being signed in 2011 the situation is such that in 2018 only three member states have produced national programmes which contain adequate plans for the safe and responsible management of spent nuclear fuel in all stages — meaning from its extraction or importation to final disposal. Research has been plentiful regarding the development of nuclear waste management, but has generally been limited either to the national level, regarding specific nations’ circumstances affecting their ability to store radioactive waste, or to a more broadly scientific level, regarding the necessary prerequisites for the current technology for disposal of spent nuclear fuel and technological advancements within the area in general. My aim is to outline the factors affecting the development of a programme for nuclear waste management, according to previous research, and apply it to the national reports sent in by the member states to the Commission in order to bring clarity over what bearing these factors have in the implementation of Directive 2011/70/Euratom, and thus bring an aspect of European perspective to what has otherwise been seen from a national perspective.