Radioactive waste management: a civil society perspective

Key points

The EESC:

• stresses that Member States should facilitate inclusive engagement, openness and transparency with civil society, including current host communities and potentially interested host communities, in all areas of RWM. Available funding should be used to increase the capacity of civil society groups, particularly local communities close to nuclear installations, to participate independently in projects and studies to assess participation and transparency practices in RWM.
   
• urges the Member States to assume all their responsibilities so as not to leave future generations with the burden of processing nuclear waste, whatever its nature, lifespan and hazard level. The development of shared solutions, including but not limited to multinational radioactive waste repositories, could be of interest to some EU Member States, particularly countries with small or medium-sized inventories.
   
• encourages the EU Member States to seek minimal amounts of waste for disposal, employing circular economy strategies to reduce radioactive waste generation to a minimum wherever possible;
   
• notes that the application of the directive is uneven in the Members States, resulting in a lack of comparable data. It calls on the Member States to improve the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in monitoring and reporting on the progress made in implementing the EU's Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management Directive;
   
• encourages supporting the education and training of professionals and scientists in RWM and proposes ‘socio-technical approaches’ towards radioactive waste.