Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
Please fill in this field to find a procedure

Dedicated financial programme for decommissioning of nuclear facilities and management of radioactive waste 2021–2027

2018/0252(NLE)

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the report by Peter KOUROUMBASHEV (S&D, BG) on the proposal for a Council regulation establishing a dedicated financial programme for decommissioning of nuclear facilities and management of radioactive waste, and repealing Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1368/2013.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament approve the Commission proposal subject to the following amendments:

Subject matter: the proposed Regulation seeks to establish a dedicated financial programme for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and management of radioactive waste, with the focus on needs identified on a current basis. For the period of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, it will support Bulgaria and Slovakia to safely decommission their nuclear reactors that have been prematurely shut down, and the implementation of the decommissioning process and management of radioactive waste of the Commission's own nuclear installations at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) sites, while ensuring the protection of workers, in particular as regards health impacts, the general public and the environment.

It shall lay down the objectives of the Programme, the overall budget for the period 2021 – 2027, including the exact distribution of the amount among the three programmes, the forms of the European Atomic Energy Community funding and the rules for providing such funding.

The committee noted that such financial assistance shall not, however, set a defining precedent for the funding of future nuclear decommissioning at Union level. The initiative to undertake and finance the decommissioning of nuclear facilities should primarily remain the responsibility of the Member States.

Co-financing rates: Members stressed that the Programme may finance eligible costs of an action as set out in Annexes I and II. The minimum Union co-financing rate applicable under the Kozloduy programme or the Bohunice programme shall be no less than 50%. The remaining co-financing shall be provided by Bulgaria and Slovakia respectively.