By Martin Banks - 3rd November 2010
Today's proposals on new EU rules for nuclear waste seem to be little more than a cheap PR exercise
Rebecca Harms
EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger has urged member states to bury radioactive nuclear waste, saying burial is the safest form of disposal.
The German official's call came as he unveiled the commission's much-awaited draft law on nuclear waste on Wednesday.
The draft directive on nuclear waste says geographical storage is "the safest and most sustainable" option for disposing of spent fuel.
France, Sweden and Finland plan to open underground repositories between 2020 and 2025 and Oettinger hopes other national governments will do the same.
At present, 14 member states have nuclear power stations while two others are set to decommission nuclear plants.
But the directive, which sets out EU rules on nuclear waste management and disposal, was immediately dismissed by the Greens/EFA group in parliament.
Greens say it fails to deal with the "crucial aspects" of the nuclear waste issue.
Greens/EFA co-leader, German MEP Rebecca Harms, said, "Today's proposals on new EU rules for nuclear waste seem to be little more than a cheap PR exercise: an attempt to create the illusion that the EU is doing something and that the problems of nuclear waste can be solved, thereby providing a veneer of legitimacy to the revival that the nuclear industry continues to hope for."
She added, "Nobody should be taken in by this spin. These proposals fail to address the core issues and citizens' concerns on dealing with dangerous nuclear waste.
"On the crucial question of nuclear waste definitions, the proposals are far too loose, giving member states a free hand to determine what can be considered as nuclear waste and allowing them to exclude a wide array of potentially dangerous materials.
"The crucial question of financial liability is also left unresolved, despite the fact that a number of member states have weak or non-existent provisions on how to handle the huge financial burden of dealing with nuclear waste. Cost estimates continue to rise and were recently doubled in France.
"Instead, the commission gives the impression that deep geological disposal (burying the waste deep underground) is consensual, without taking into account the continuing concerns with this process. The debate is, however, far from closed and there is no technical or political consensus on permanent disposal options.
"Overall, the proposals fall far short of what would be required to provide for sufficient EU rules on nuclear waste.
"Clearly, the absence of any solution on how to deal with dangerous nuclear waste makes current calls for a 'nuclear renaissance' in Europe all the more irresponsible."
Further reaction to the commission's proposals came from Santiago San Antonio, director general of Foratom, the Brussels-based organisation that represents the nuclear energy industry.
He said, "Technically and economically viable solutions for the management of radioactive waste exist.
"Indeed, the EU's low-level waste, which represents approximately 85 per cent of the total volume of waste, is already disposed of safely.
"We are particularly pleased that the directive acknowledges the fact that there is a world-wide scientific and technical consensus that deep geological disposal of high-level waste which has been proven by over 30 years of research, represents the safest and most sustainable option."
Some 53 per cent of respondents to a recent Eurobarometer poll said the risks of nuclear power outweigh the advantages, although 33 per cent took the opposite view.
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