Brussels, 01/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - Most participants in a debate organised on the management of used nuclear fuel and eradicative waste in Brussels on Thursday 30 June by New Nuclear Watch Europe (NNWE) supported the idea promoted by this interest group of introducing pan-European rules in this domain, while leaving countries to decide independently in line the principle of subsidiarity.
Debate also focussed on the need for great public commitment for each new nuclear development or waste processing plan, or the perception by industry of the reduction of end-of-combustion cycle cost reductions through the sharing of knowhow and best practices, explained lobby group NNWE on Friday 1 July.
A representative of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JCR) and nuclear experts from France's and Slovakia's permanent representations to the EU participated in the debate.
Defending the idea of pan-European rules for the processing of used fuel rods, ecological association Greens of Ukraine expressed concern about a secret plan to build an above-ground dry storage system for used nuclear fuel 70 km from Kiev, near the Dnieper river. The Ukrainian environment association says the project flouts fundamental nuclear safety standards and raises the spectre of a new Chernobyl. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)