Doc. 10522

26 April 2005

Disposal and storage of spent nuclear fuel and long-lived radioactive nuclear waste

Motion for a resolution

presented by Mr Jakavonis and others

The Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe during its deliberations on the draft resolution on energy system and environment protection on 17 March 2005 supported the opinion that the issue of disposal and storage of spent nuclear fuel and long-lived radioactive nuclear waste calls for a special resolution containing the provision to dispose of and store spent nuclear fuel in several large storage facilities or disposal sites constructed in geologically stable and uninhabited areas of the planet.

1.       Nuclear power plants continue to cause problems related to the disposal and storage of spent nuclear fuel (hereinafter referred to as SNF) and long-lived radioactive nuclear waste.

2.       International documents concerning the disposal and storage of spent nuclear fuel and long-lived radioactive nuclear waste do not offer any potential future solutions, therefore every European state tackles this issue individually. Short-sighted business interests come into play, and the funding of studies is pre-determined by the crystal basement – a geological structure appropriate for the disposal and storage of SNF in the territory of an individual state.

3.       In the future, such trends may pose even greater danger to the health of those living in Europe, the most densely populated continent.

4.       Moreover, if SNF and long-lived radioactive nuclear waste is disposed of and stored in European states individually, the protection of such scattered storage facilities or disposal sites against terrorist attacks will become more complicated, and the international community will be the one to shoulder the burden of ensuring their safety.

The Assembly decides to analyse this situation and to propose particular decisions.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed ¹:

JAKAVONIS, Gediminas, Lithuania, LDR

ALATALU, Toomas, Estonia, EDG

BERDZENISHVILI, Levan, Georgia, LDR

BĒRZINŠ, Andris, Latvia, LDR

ČEKUOLIS, Jonas, Lithuania, LDR

COSARCIUC, Valeriu, Moldova, LDR

COŞKUNOĞLU, Osman, Turkey, SOC

DEDJA, Taulant, Albania, SOC

GUBERT, Renzo, Italy, EPP/CD

HANCOCK, Michael, United Kingdom, LDR

HOLOVATY, Serhiy, Ukraine, LDR

ILAŞCU, Ilie, Romania, NR

KAIKKONEN, Antti, Finland, LDR

KRSTEVSKI, Zoran, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", LDR

KUŽVART, Miloš, Czech Republic, SOC

LEIBRECHT, Harald, Germany, LDR

LENGAGNE, Guy, France, SOC

LEUTHEUSSER-SCHNARRENBERGER, Sabine, Germany, LDR

LOBKOWICZ, Jaroslav, Czech Republic, EPP/CD

MARQUET, Bernard, Monaco, LDR

MILOTINOVA, Milena, Bulgaria, LDR

MOLLAZADE, Azim, Azerbaijan, LDR

PISCITELLO, Rino, Italy, LDR

RINGSTAD, Jorunn, Norway, LDR

SCHMIED, Walter, Switzerland, LDR

SEVERINSEN, Hanne, Denmark, LDR

TEVDORADZE, Elene, Georgia, LDR

VAREIKIS, Egidijus, Lithuania, EPP/CD

WITTAUER, Klaus, Austria, NR

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group