Nuclear safety: decommissioning of obsolete installations at the JCR and waste management

The European Parliament adopted its resolution drafted by Alejo VIDAL-QUADRAS ROCA (EPP/ED, Spain) on historical liabilities resulting from nuclear activities carried out at the Joint Research Centre (JRC). The Parliament welcomed the Commission's initiative to get rid of the historical liabilities, and called on the Commission to publish immediately its internal audit of 28 April 1998 on the activities of the JRC, as well as a statement on the management of nuclear materials at the JRC. It felt that thee was no point in drawing up a strategy on decommissioning and waste management until these questions were resolved. The Commission was required by Parliament to take action to ensure that the JRC is able to play its full role as the "awarding authority", as well as to supply the technical data essential to a full understanding of the action programme. The kind of data necessary is specified in the resolution and includes Member State responsibility at Ispa and Petten. On the question of financing, Parliament took the view that decommissioning and waste management must not be financed under the research budget but under a special budget line which is adequately financed. The Commission proposal was considered too piecemeal in nature to be able to meet the needs of a large long-term programme, which makes the financing method proposed unacceptable. Parliament called for a trialogue with the Commission and Council to consider the measures to be taken.�