Brussels, 23/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - Taking an opposing position to the one adopted by the energy committee at the end of May, the European Parliament (EP) argued, on Thursday 23 June, for a ban on the export of nuclear waste to non-EU countries, unless for the purposes of recycling and import back into the EU. Exports within the EU should only be allowed through bilateral agreements. Parliament also backed stricter rules on the protection of workers, stronger powers of investigation for national authorities and research on alternatives to storing the waste underground.
Under the terms of the proposed directive on the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, tabled by the Commission in November of last year, each member state would have to draft policies and programmes to ensure that spent fuel and radioactive waste are processed and disposed of safely. National policies would have to include inventories and management plans for all facilities, even after they close down.
With the adoption of the report by Romana Jordan Cizelj (EPP, Slovakia), by 489 votes to 52, with 75 abstentions, in plenary session on Thursday 23 June, MEPs finally went for the option of banning exports to non-EU countries, in opposition to the energy committee's initial proposal. The S&D and ALDE Groups wanted to stick to the Commission's initial proposal that each member state would be responsible for disposing of the waste it produces and permitted to export it to another EU member state only by bilateral agreement. In plenary session, the EP voted for the S&D proposal to allow waste exports only for recycling and only on condition that it is then imported back into the EU. The Greens suggested allowing exports only within the EU and only of small amounts of waste, whilst the GUE/EFA Group wanted to ban exports even within the EU.
Parliament also called for stricter rules on protecting and training workers in handling radioactive waste, from generation to disposal. MEPs also called for stronger investigatory powers for safety authorities.
Parliament backed the idea of increasing research into alternatives to burying the waste deep underground, contrary to the Commission proposal, which says deep geological disposal is the safest option for highly radioactive waste. (E.H./transl.rt)