The ENSREG Working Group on Radioactive Waste and Decommissioning meets at the European Commission in Brussels

The Working Group on radioactive waste management and "decommissioning", set up within the ENSREG (European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group), the Group of Nuclear Safety Authorities of the EU Member States created by the Commission, met at the offices of the European Commission in Brussels.
The meeting was held under the presidency of ISIN. The two sessions were chaired by the coordinator of the Consulta, Stefano Laporta and by Mario Dionisi, technical manager of the Service for the management of radioactive waste and for the transport of radioactive materials.
The participants discussed various issues in relation to the state of implementation of the national programs on the management of radioactive waste prepared in implementation of Directive 2011/70/Euratom, in order to develop specific ENSREG technical positions and guidelines useful both to the Commission , to promote Community initiatives in the field of radioactive waste management, and to the Member States to comply with the obligations established by the Directive.
In particular, the Group's program of activities for the period 2024-2026 was discussed, outlining possible future actions, to be submitted to ENSREG for approval, among which of particular interest are to be highlighted:
• the organization of an ENSREG workshop in 2024, with the support of the Commission, to discuss the experiences of the Member States after 10 years of application of the Euratom Directive 2011/70 which establishes a Community framework for the safe management of radioactive waste and spent fuel. In 2024 all countries will in fact have completed the first cycle of international Peer Reviews (ARTEMIS) and implemented several cycles of preparation of the national reports required by the Directive, and it will be possible to evaluate the effects of the Directive on radioactive waste management programs in the countries Europeans as a whole;
• The possible involvement of the Working Group in an initiative, launched by the European Parliament, which will be implemented in the coming years, on the management of radioactive waste in the European Union, including in particular a study of the elements of a legal and technical nature necessary for the potential creation of a European regional repository for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

During the meeting, the Group was also informed on the status of the activities relating to the "Topical Peer Review" on the subject of fire safety of nuclear installations, including those for the management of radioactive waste and spent fuel, which will culminate in a community-level workshop expected in 2024.