Publication Laka-library:
SAPIERR Paves the way towards European Regional Repository
| Author | V.Štefula, C.McCombie |
 |
6-01-5-70-06.pdf |
| Date | May 2004 |
| Classification | 6.01.5.70/06 (WASTE - INTERNATIONAL OR MULTINATIONAL STORAGE) |
| Front |
From the publication:
5th International Conference on Nuclear Option in Countries with Small and Medium Electricity Grids Dubrovnik, Croatia, May 16-20, 2004. SAPIERR PAVES THE WAY TOWARDS EUROPEAN REGIONAL REPOSITORY Vladan Štefula, DECOM Slovakia Charles McCombie, ARIUS ABSTRACT Only a few months after its start, the 6th EC Framework Programme project, SAPIERR, has attracted substantial attention from European countries and beyond. SAPIERR stands for Support Action: Pilot Initiative on European Regional Repositories and it is carried out by the consortium of DECOM Slovakia and ARIUS. This project aims to bring together countries with an interest in investigating the possibilities for shared repositories for spent nuclear fuel / high-level radioactive waste, and in particular those countries with small nuclear power programmes that do not have the resources or the full range of expertise to build their own repositories. The prospect of building and operating a single regional repository (or a limited number of such facilities) shared by several European countries was raised in the draft Directive of European Commission on radioactive waste management and was encouraged by the related resolution passed by the European Parliament. Practical support for this idea has been demonstrated by the Commission by its approving of the SAPIERR project and providing funding. It is already a significant achievement of this project that 21 organisations from 14 countries have agreed to take part in the SAPIERR working group. This working group is an essential tool of the whole project. Its participants came together at a kick-off meeting in Piestany, Slovakia on 19th – 20th February 2004. The consortium explained the project objectives and established communication channels between the working group participants. The group members are at the moment gathering national information on their potential waste inventories for a potential shared repository, as well as on their national legislative backgrounds. These inputs should help DECOM Slovakia and ARIUS to produce analytical studies on the waste inventories and legal aspects of the European Regional Repository. Based on these and other input data, the consortium will prepare a technical report on possible scenarios and concepts for European regional disposal and will formulate proposals for areas of relevant trans-national research and development to be carried out in future. High profile will be given to so-called co-operative scenario, which is most appropriate for the European context. The identification of the potential host country was deliberately excluded from the scope of SAPIERR project in this first phase. The working group participants will correspond throughout the two year duration of the study and will meet again towards the end of the project at an international seminar in Brussels in October 2005. The objective of the seminar will be to review and disseminate results of the project to a wide audience and to agree on subsequent steps on the way towards a European Regional Repository.