Nuclear Waste
Will the Directive Solve the Problem?
Nuclear waste from nuclear power plants is one of the most toxic and most persistent substances mankind produces, but a solution how the highly dangerous waste can be stored safely is yet to be found.
A repository would have to guarantee for a safe burial of highly radioactive waste for up to 1 million years. The lack of safe storage sites for nuclear waste is seen by the European public as the biggest problem connected to the use of nuclear power.
In the EU, it is the Commission as well as the relevant Council working groups and ENEF (European Nuclear Energy Forum) who are trying to find a way to solve the problem of final waste storage. In autumn, the Commission will present a proposal for a nuclear waste directive to create common rules for nuclear waste storage in the EU. Meanwhile, the public consultation on this issue has started and will continue until the end of May 2010.
During this hearing, experts will present examples from different European countries regarding their respective nuclear waste strategies (Germany, Sweden, Finland). Against the backdrop of these experiences, lessons will be drawn with respect to the Draft Nuclear Waste Directive, with the aim of formulating requirements that a meaningful EU directive should fulfil.
This event is hosted by
Anni Podimata, S&D
Rebecca Harms, Greens/EFA
In cooperation with Friends of the Earth Europe
